Cruel F A T E »
by b a y o - b a y o
Summary: A nerdy schoolgirl is transported to the Naruto world by a forbidden jutsu that is emailed to her. But when the protection and destruction of the world is placed on her shoulders, will she decide to follow her heart or go home? [ GaaOC, GaaraxOC ] R & R!
1. The Nerd

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

HI! X3 I'm Bayo, and I'll be your adorable hostess for this story. :3 This is one of your average Naruto stories with a simple, cliched background—someone from our world gets sucked into the Naruto world. BUT! Hopefully the plot I have in mind will keep you reading and interested. X3 Most of this story will be done in the first person perspective of my character, and sometimes switching from normal p.o.v. to some other character's p.o.v. D

Of course, I have romances and pairings planned… but I'll let yah'll guess on everything for a while. xD

So please, read, review, believe in me, and… yeah. REVIEW! ♥

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor anything from it—all's I own are my characters, the plot, and this story. x3

* * *

**c h a p t e r . one****:  
The Nerd**

"Hey, hey, guess what, guess what?"

I sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"What, Kira…?"

I mouthed her words at the same time she spoke them: "Naruto: Shippuuden finally came out! I'm so excited!"

I stared at my friend like an idiot and shook my head nonchalantly. You see, Kira here was a freak anime fan; and apparently, her favorite series—Naruto---after a long seven days' wait, came out, subbed on the blessing of a website named YouTube. I kicked violently at a rock that lay on the sidewalk and watched it soar into a bush, causing a resting bird to sqwuak and flee in terror.

"Oh, really? That's great." It's not like I didn't like anime; it's just that I didn't like Naruto, mainly because I thought it was so overrated (I mean, everyone watched it these days—I preferred animes like Fruits Basket or Tokyo Mew Mew, even). Maybe if it wasn't so popular I'd adore it; but now, after seeing what it turned my best friend into, I was pretty close to sueing the producers.

Kira pouted at me, her dark blue eyes sparkling scoldingly at me. "Aww, c'mon, Nadine—you gotta show at least _some_ excitement! There are _tons_ of hot bishies in Naruto! Like, a gazillion! There's this super cute guy named Neji, a really good-looking teacher called Kakashi; and then there's Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke (even if he does turn into a baddie), Kankuro… the list goes on into forever! Masashi Kishimoto spoils us fangirls!" I could swear I saw her literally glittering with joy, her expression completely dazed. "But… the best-looking guy of them all is…"

I sighed again.

"Nara Shikamaru! He's soooo hot!"

"Honestly, Kira, how could you like such commonplace animes? I mean, a series about ninja running around and throwing knives and those star-things… I bet it gets boring after a while," I replied, shrugging. Kira turned to me again, flipping her long, black ponytail from her face. "Doesn't it?"

"It does not! There's a ton of subplots, too!" she retorted, crossing her arms defensively. "I know you, Nadie—you'd love it if you took the time to watch it!"

I waved my hand at her indifferently. "Yeah, yeah…" I could see my house sitting just a few yards away, and grinned. "It's too bothersome." One of the many lines I knew Kira swooned over.

"…It's _trouble_some, Nadie! Get it right!"

"Well, excuuuse me! Saying it right is just… _trouble_some."

She swooned. "Aaaah--! Shikamaruuuu!"

* * *

I plopped onto my bed, sighing in complacency. After too long of a week, the weekend had finally come, and I got two full days of break to just rest my mind, do what little homework I had, go shopping, read manga… stuff that people like me usually did.

What would I classify myself as? I'm not much a stereotypical fan, but I'm usually labeled as a nerd. I'm not into sports, I can't be as fast and strong as most people are; but I make up for it in fairly good grades, perfect attendance awards, and everything academically involved. Sometimes I wish I were a little bit into everything so I could at least be labeled some things other than an unpopular and boring nerd, but I guess beggars couldn't be choosers… sometimes, though, I wish I were strong enough to not give up my money for the snobbiest, supposedly prettiest, girl in school (which I, unfortunately, was often found doing). I rolled my eyes.

Some people called me a softy, a freak of oriental nature, and a do-gooder; which is basically what I was. I was so soft it made me a pushover, so much a fanatic of Japan that I was labeled the 'freak of oriental nature', and abided by the rules like a good little girl should do.

I claim I didn't care; but sometimes, I really do wonder how things would be if I were to change even the slightest bit…

Kira was always there to support me though. She was a fangirl, but she was also my best friend.

"Naruto: Shippuuden…" I whispered to myself, rolling onto my stomach to face the picture on my nightstand. It was a photo of my older brother, Reuben Wingard, who had mysteriously disappeared a half a year ago, back when I had just turned fourteen. It was a story I didn't like to retell at all; actually, the only people who could guess close at what happened was me, my mom, and Kira.

He was one of the reasons I didn't like Naruto, too.

You see, Reuben was as much of a Narutard as Kira was; only he was more… manly. He didn't jump around squealing, thank God, and he liked Temari instead of Shikamaru; but he was still glued onto the series like a fly to droppings (it was the best illustration I could come up with right now). Well, one day—it was a rainy evening, I remember—he just up and disappeared after my mom and I came back from a day of mother-daughter bonding. Next to his laptop (he was a nerd, too—only he's tons more popular than I am) was a note that said: _'Don't worry, I'm fine, just in case you two decided to freak out. I'm going to go on my own for a while—I just got the opportunity of a lifetime. Nadie, keep watching and writing Naruto—it's a lot more than you think. –Reuben" _

That's when I figured Naruto made him go away, and I stopped watching it. I was into the series before because I looked up to Reuben as a fatherly figure as well as a brotherly one, since my dad died back when I was really young (but I never told Kira that). And what he meant by writing: I'm a writer, too. On I must have submitted at least five big stories since last year… Reuben really liked my style of writing and urged me to become an author when I'm older.

Which made me even more of a nerd.

Suddenly I heard a faint ringing noise from my desk, and sat up and stared at my brother's laptop. I had decided to steal it as my own until he returned. I hobbled over to it and plopped down in front of the low table it was sitting on. Three bold words flashed on a pixelated envelope: _'you've got mail!'_

I blinked and clicked on it, bringing up my message. I had to quickly run over to my backpack and retrieve my reading glasses, and set them on my face. They were an ordinary pair of rectangular-shaped lenses framed in a medium black—the fashion of our world today. As I went back to the computer, I read that there was no proper return address, nor a subject. "That's weird," I said to myself, and proceeded to read my email. I didn't make it past the first sentence before I gawked.

_Hey Nadie, it's me… Reuben._

"B-Bro…?" I continued to read the message. It said:

_Hey Nadie, it's me… Reuben. Sorry for taking so long to write to you, but things here have been busy and even now I have only a brief time to type this up. I just wanted you to know I'm fine and that everything's great; but there's something I need to ask you._

I gulped as I read the next few sentences.

_Do you want to visit? My friends are in need of someone who has talents in English and I immediately thought of you, since you're an A-plus student in the subject. If you wanna help your undeserving big brother out, I'll let you know how to get where I am… but if you don't want to, then I can't let you in on our little party plan._

_It's… confidential. But I promise it's gonna be awesome!_

_So send me your answer… and don't worry about the return address. Just reply and click submit; it'll go through._

_Love, Reuben_

Part of me wanted to scream for my mom to get up here and read this, but instead I sat there and stared at what he wrote. Reuben needed… me?

I didn't even have to think before I replied. I've missed Reuben so much, and if this is the only chance I'll get to see him—even if only for a little while—then I was gonna take it.

My fingers shook as I replied:

_Hi, Reuben! I've missed you so much… and of course I'll help you! If it means getting to see you again after these six months, then I'd do anything to do so. Drop me a line—I'll be waiting!_

_Love, Nadine_

I sat back and pressed the 'send' button, and watched as the email shrunk and a pixelated thumbs-up flashed on the screen.

I can't believe what had just happened… Reuben Wingard, my missing brother, had just emailed me after six months of disappearance, supposedly from a Naruto world… if I considered the note he left.

Looking back to the picture on my nightstand, I sighed. I sure hope he replies soon.

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

'_You've got mail!'_

The flash of a pixelated envelope and the three bolded words flashed, making the dark room brilliantly flash off and on like a broken light switch. It was unusually cold and drafty in the room that consisted of boulders, and no electric light shined; the only dim light the room received was from the moon that hung outside, shining silver rays through the cracks of some rocks.

"Oi, Benni, I think you got… uh… 'email', was it?"

A thin silhouette was leaning coolly on one of the damp walls, her eyes closed and her arms crossed. Another shadow could be heard travelling across the thick floor, his footsteps light and noiseless as they reached the laptop that shined on the rock table. A thin smile stretched onto his face as his eyes slid across his message, and he rested on his knees as he quickly typed up a reply.

"Well?" The silhouette from the wall inquired as a distinct 'click' sounded, signalling that he had sent his response.

"Looks like we've got a recruit," the other replied with cheer.

"She'd better be as reliable as you say she is," the woman warned.

What could be described as a proud grin curled onto his lips, and flashed his teeth at his companion. "Don't worry—I know she is."

The silhouette rolled her eyes. "All right…"

* * *

And that's chapter one, everybody! ;3 Hopefully you all like… and don't worry, Naruto peeps will be starring in the next chapter, I promise. xD And the chapters will be longer as soon as the real story comes rolling along… so don't you worry your little head. ;D

But pleeeeaaaase review! It keeps me typing… and if I get less than I expected, then I'll go slower. xP So if you want more, then review, review, review! X3


	2. Getting Directions

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Heya everybody! nn Thanks so much for the reviews… I got more than I expected to get, considering this is such a used background. xD But thanks a bunch… keep reviewing! It really fuels me. :3

And now I present to you… Chapter Two! ♥

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto—only my characters and plot!

* * *

**c h a p t e r . two:  
Getting Directions**

I couldn't sit still in school that Monday; after receiving that shocking email from Reuben, I was anything but calm. On Saturday I was totally out of it; on Sunday I was practically smothering my laptop because I was waiting for a reply. Either the email got erased, or Reuben was trying to put me into suspense. My eyes traveled over to the clock hanging on the wall, just behind the teacher; I sighed quietly, twiddling my fingers impatiently. This was my last class—as soon as that bell rang, I was out of here and bee-lining to my room.

I didn't tell anyone else about the email; I wanted to make sure this wasn't a sick prank pulled on me by hidden sources. Kira noticed that I was acting weird that day, though; I was glad she wasn't in this class with me. I was pretty sure I'd break everything to her if she pestered me about it again.

I just told her I was tired… which really wasn't a lie. I was; I literally haven't been sleeping since that mail dropped by.

The teacher drawled on about sentence harmony and vivid verb usage (I took two English classes), and my prayers were answered as the bell ringed loudly across the campus. The students cheered and before the teacher could even dismiss us, I was already out the door and tearing down the hallway.

"Please answer today…!"

* * *

It took me less than half the time it took for me to get home than usual. Shouting a quick hello to my cooking mom, I darted through the hallway and isolated myself in my room. Mom hollared an 'are you okay, dear?' to me; she probably thought I was hiding drugs or something. She was paranoid like that; it was cute, but pretty scary sometimes. I threw my school things lazily on the floor and trotted over to the laptop; and surely enough, there was the same pixelated envelope with the words _'you've got mail!'_ flashing boldly, like three days ago.

Hiding an excited squeal, I opened it up to find that it was, indeed from Reuben.

My heart beat wildly in my chest, my palm raising to settle it; I retrieved my preppy glasses from my backpack again and sat stiffly in on the floor to read it.

_Yo, sis—sorry if this took long to get there. Where I'm mailing from, it takes a long time for things to get there. Anyway, I'm glad to hear you wanna help… but the requirements might take time for you to finish. It's not anything physical ('cause I know you're not the best it)… but it's kind of like one of those pattern things you like to play. You know that game where you start off with one little beat or something, and you imitate it; and then another different-sounding beat plays, and you have to play the first beat and the second beat… and then it turns into a pattern that you have to memorize? It's kind of like that. Only these things that you'll be imitating are called 'seals'._

I gulped and read on, wondering where he was getting at.

_You still watch Naruto, right? Remember those seals they always do? You have to do that to get here. What you gotta do is perform the twelve seals in a specific order; and that means you're gonna hafta memorize them. You have to get them imbedded in your mind, and you have to do it quickly. Here's the order: Rabbit, Rooster, Boar, Horse, Monkey, Ox, Dragon, Dog, Rat, Tiger, Snake, and lastly, Ram; then, at the end, you hold out the last seal and say 'Shiki Nai Fuin; Yochiijou no Jutsu'_ (1)_. I know it sounds like a chore, but I know you're good with memorization… so if you're still up to it, I'll see you later… Nadine._

_Love, Reuben_

_P.S.: If you're successful, you might not see me first thing. And if that happens, I want you to go find a village and stay there for a while; I'll come pick you up._

And that was the end.

"Reuben… you really are in Naruto," I whispered to myself, reading over his words a second time. I could see flashbacks of us sitting around his laptop, watching Naruto episodes for the whole day from YouTube; and I could remember the seals Naruto and Sasuke and Kakashi often performed. I gulped again; was he really serious about this?

Reuben wasn't exactly solemn, but I didn't think he would kid around about this stuff. His intructions were direct, specific, and hard to do; my brain began to ache after realizing I had to memorize all twelve of the seals to meet him again. But, like I said in my last email, I told him I'd do anything to see him again; so I wasn't about to go back on my word.

Closing the email, I traveled around the internet, and pulled open the most reliable Naruto information network that I could find—Naruto I went to their 'seals' page, stared at all the hand positions, and nearly fainted; this was going to take at least a couple weeks to memorize and perform quickly.

I'll make it a few days.

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"Did she reply yet, Benni?"

"No, Karite… she's not going to reply. She'll either show up here, or she won't. That'll be her reply."

Two men sat in the somewhat sunnier stone room. The big sphere or brilliant light hung in the sky, its blinding rays leaking through every crack and crevice that it could find. The once shadowed figures in the room weren't so shadowed anymore; and one man stood, leaning against the wall, while the other was reclining on a rocky platform inside the bright room.

"Really? What'd you tell her?" the man named Karite asked, casting a questioning glance to the other through golden eyes.

Benni shrugged, bouncing off the wall. "I just taught her how to use the jutsu to get here, is all," he replied complacently.

"Whaaat? You taught her how to do it? Like someone—a girl, especially—could handle such a thing at fourteen. Even if she did, she'd probably kill herself on her way here," Karite said, his arms crossing. "The only reason you could do it is because you're a guy, you're older, and you're a natural in forbidden jutsu."

"Correction: I'm an outsider who was interested in becoming a ninja, and worked hard to get here; you're just a sexist," Benni said, "And I think she'll work hard to get here, too."

"It might cost her more than what it cost you," he warned. "You're lucky you got to escape death, Benni—but what about your dear… Nadine, was it?"

"I didn't lose anything… I gained something," Benni replied defensively, "Nadine is weak, but she's really stubborn; if chance of death is one out of one hundred, then her luck will be sure to avoid it."

"Whatever you say, Benni, whatever you say…" Karite sighed. "As long as it gets the job done, then I guess I'll have to trust you this once."

Benni smirked, "That's right. And has Koutai returned yet?"

"Nope… she should be heading back from that village now."

"Good. It's almost time…"

* * *

**( Nadine's P.O.V. -- Five Days Later . . . )**

"_Shiki Nai Fuin; Yochiijou no Jutsu!_"

I held the Ram seal and waited a few seconds; after nothing happened, and sighed in irritation and fell onto my bed, my hands and fingers aching.

The school week passed like a blur to me; instead of learning academics, I was trying to learn the hand seals. I had drawn them and labeled them in all of my notebooks and practiced them during class; I was caught a few times by my classmates, and I was promoted to being the top nerd of the school. I didn't care though; I didn't feel like explaining to them the significance of these nerdy seals. Kira was completely stunned by my sudden Naruto revolution; but I told her that I was going to learn them for Reuben once he returned to surprise him.

She was still skeptical at first, but thankfully her naiveness caused her to believe me.

I memorized all the seals in four days; now I was trying to do them quickly in the order Reuben told me to do them. I had been practicing ever since I woke up this Saturday morning—right now, it was a little past noon. My wrists throbbed from moving so much, but I somehow endured and continued.

It was amazing how much the right motivation can make you do…

After popping my wrists from cramps, I tried again; I performed the twelve seals as fast as I could, but my fingers slid as I attempted to make the Dragon seal. "Dang it…" I mumbled. "I'll never get this down…!"

This was infuriating. Given the fact that I knew that I had to do this right in order to see my missing brother again, I was rushing and not thinking about what I was doing; that was probably what was messing me up. I couldn't think straight.

"Concentrate…" I said calmly to myself, inhaling and exhaling once to let my heart rest from anxiety and to relax my muscles and mind. It felt like I was doing yoga, and my limbs released from tension gradually. "Think about what I'm doing…" I hopped off my bed and onto the floor, readying my fingers and hand positions again.

"Rabbit, Rooster, Boar, Horse…"

I completed the seals quickly, my eyes closing.

"Monkey, Ox, Dragon, Dog…"

My fingers felt like falling off, but I ignored the pain and continued. Almost there…

"Rat, Tiger, Snake, Ram…"

As soon as I reached the Ram, I held it and opened my eyes, convoking, "_Shiki Nai Fuin; Yochiijou no Jutsu!_"

Everything was silent as I waited. Nothing stirred, my eyes glared straight ahead, and my seal was held stiffly as it was completed. Was it another failure?

To answer my questions, a glowing ring made up of seals that I couldn't read circled me, rotating slowly with each kanji letter glowing in turn. One shined a brilliant orange; another a hot red; next was a cool blue; and it proceeded from sharp purples to soft greens and blacks for twelve rounds. I did nothing but stare, wondering what was happening; I had released my seal, and was left experiencing my success.

I could literally feel the floor—or maybe it was the ring—pull me into the ground, and I did nothing to protest. It felt like a dream; I was light-headed, my vision blurred and softened as I tried to look forward. It wasn't long before I was knocked out, and I fell into an abyss of darkness.

Before I fell unconscious, I could hear Reuben's voice echoing around me: _''Atta girl…'_

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"Kazekage-sama, it has reacted again…"

In a dark and damp room stood two figures, both of them positioned before a platform. The lights were dim, the only source being a few dangling lightbulbs from the ceiling. Random specs of dust rained onto the floor, and nothing stirred. On the platform stood a short pedestal that held an item that resembled a book, heavily ornated with designs that looked ancient and untouchable. Behind it was a lamp-looking furniture that had a blue sphere sitting on the top, storms of green and blue swirling around within it. It would constantly flash, throwing various dots of light around the room.

A pair of unmoving sea green eyes watched the orb, reflecting each flash that occurred every few minutes.

"… It must be close," he inspected quietly. His arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. "Baki-sensei, I want you to position soldiers around the walls of the village. Watch for anything or anyone that should come, and bring them to me."

"You think it might be time?" Baki asked, his tall figure looming beside his surperior's. His fists clenched beside him.

The Kazekage closed his eyes. "I don't know. But we can never be too careful."

"True… I'll recruit guards immediately." And with that, Baki left through a set of stairs in the northern wall. The sea green eyes watched his figure disappear into a brighter light above.

Taking one last look at the mysterious items that adorned the room, the Kazekage followed his ex-teacher up the stairs.

* * *

(1) _Shiki Nai Fuin; Yochiijou no Jutsu_ translates into 'Forbidden Dead Technique; World Transfer Skill'. nn

The end of chapter two, everyone! Stay tuned—I hope you like what I have in store for you all! X3

So read, enjoy, and most of all…

REVIEW!

Dattebayo--! ;3

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	3. My First Day in Sunagakure

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hey everyone again! X3 Welcome to the third of Cruel Fate! ♥ I hope you guys continue reading, reviewing, keeping me company, and criticizing my work! -pumps fist- I'm excited about this story, and the fact that even I have no idea what's going to happen next as I write it is overwhelming! X3 Tell me if something I type sounds fishy, and I'll be sure to correct it, dattebayo! nn

So then, let's get this show on the road!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I'm sad to admit… but I do own my characters, this plot; so no touchy, por favor!

* * *

**c h a p t e r . three****:  
My First Day in Sunagakure**

My eyes opened to complete darkness.

It felt like I was hanging in air; I couldn't see anything, I couldn't feel anything, and everything took on an eerie silence. When I tried to move, something restrained me; it was a binding that made me think it was rope, but for some odd reason I didn't feel anything physical. The logical thing to do was scream, but I didn't do that—I just stared blankly ahead. I guess I was still dazed from what had happened before…

… which was what, again?

Flashbacks of what had happened in my room seemingly minutes before ran through my mind like broken film, and I wondered if this was how Reuben transferred to the Naruto world. Or maybe what he told me to do was a hypnotic trick, and I was sleeping and having a weird dream.

Although my body felt weightless, I could feel myself dangling; although I couldn't feel any rope or something, I knew I was being restrained.

What in the world was going on?

"… Hello…? Is anyone out here?" I called, but hearing nothing but myself. I didn't even echo. "But… where is _here_?"

I peered around, but it didn't help—I couldn't see.

"Am I… dead?"

Silence, and then a voice.

_You're lucky you aren't, girl…_

Suddenly a pair of huge—and I mean giant—eyes the shade of blood appeared in front of me, it's pupils staring at me observantly. They blinked once or twice, and I had to bite my lip to refrain from screaming. "Wh-Wh-What—"

_Hmph, I see you're not the most courageous of humans… what a waste._

'I can't hear him… but I can hear him. What is with this place and its ironic environment?' I mentally asked myself, my eyes narrowing in irritation. I couldn't hear his voice with my ears, but his voice rang clearly in my head—was he telepathically speaking with me?

_For the sake of me—they sent me you, of all people? They told me you were intelligent, but seeing you now, I beg to differ._

I glared at the pair of large eyes that narrowed hatefully at me, and winced as I could swear I saw fire light in them. "Who are you?" I asked.

_Someone you're not worth knowing._

I felt anger bubble inside me and I shouted, "Then why the heck am I here?! What is this place, and what do you want?!"

_Oooh, hot-blooded. Loud, too. How annoying._

Restrained or not, I attempting to throw myself at the eyes and stab at them with my fingers—this confusion and frustration was getting to me. Just what kind of jutsu did Reuben teach me?

_But I suppose that if we're going to start seeing each other often, you should know the basic idea. You performed the lost technique, and it brought you to me. Why is it that you did that skill, girl?_

"… To see my brother," I replied through gritted teeth, "and it's _Nadine_—not 'girl'."

_Your brother? … Oh, yes, that punk. He was pretty stubborn… I'm surprised I didn't kill him after the way he spoke with me. I suppose rudeness runs in your family?_

"Shut up and tell me what's going on," I sneered. My patience—if I still had any—was about to snap again. I could hear his voice chuckle darkly before replying.

_Basically, performing that jutsu will need to cost you something. Since you are transporting from your world to another, you will have to offer something in exchange for the transfer. And, because you're so young and you obviously did it by the instructions of another, I really should just ask Shinigami-sama to take your life and allow your corpse into the world, which is an honor in itself…_

I tried to hide the twitch in my lip and the concerned frown I held—that didn't sound too good. I couldn't die—not before finding Reuben, returning home, and living for at least fifty more years. I didn't snap back at his relaxed tone of voice, but continued listening. He had more to say.

_But, you've shown considerable talent in being able to use that jutsu in less than a week. You may not be very smart, but you're stubborn and talented… and I have an idea of what your exchange could be without you losing your life._

My eyes narrowed skeptically as I stared at the set of eyes staring back at me. "And what exchange is that…?"

_Meh, you'll know soon enough. Will you take it?_

I thought for a brief moment before replying, "…Yeah." It was better than losing my life, anyway.

_Fine. When you wake up, you'll be in the other world. Consider yourself lucky, girl. Oh yeah, and the intense pain you're about to feel is punishment for sneering at me earlier._

Before I could even open my mouth to speak, a painful scream erupted through my lips as a harsh headache inflicted itself in my mind. I couldn't shake the pain off because my body was restricted, and I broke into a desperate sweat. My brain felt like it was throbbing, and I could feel a burning sensation in various parts of my face; and through my yelps and cries, I could hear the voice laughing and speaking to me:

_I'll be seeing you around, little girl…_

My vision flashed a brilliant red, before blacking out completely.

* * *

"How is she?"

"She seems fine, now… she stopped whimpering a few minutes ago."

"What a strange kid…"

Unfamiliar voices met my ears and my eyelids twitched, my face scrunching up uncomfortably. I felt a cold wet rag on my forehead, and I weakly opened my eyes to meet with a peru-colored ceiling. Cold water dripped from the soaked cloth down my face; I slowly blinked once. It felt like I was lying on a bed, too… "Wh-Where am I…?" I managed to miraculously croak out, noticing a few figures to the side. I was in no condition to move right now—my body heavily protested against it.

"Oh, you're awake now!"

Suddenly a tall, dark figure loomed over me and stared at me with onyx eyes, thick purple paint making patterns across his face. He smirked. "I was beginning to think you were dead or something!"

I lay there, staring at his grinning face, before I screamed in surprise and scooted backwards immediately. My head lightly bumped into something firm and I leaned against it, my heart beating hard against my chest. That certainly wasn't the someone I expected to see. "D-Don't do that!"

"Do what?" the older male asked cluelessly, giving me an offended look.

"Scare the snot out of her, doofus," replied a blonde-haired teenager beside him. She glared at him scoldingly, her light brown eyes narrowing. She didn't look too old, but I knew she would either be a little younger than the other guy or a little older. "It's not every day some girl who's been knocked out for hours wakes up to see cavemen with purple face paint, in case you didn't know."

I stared at the guy. My thoughts exactly.

"Caveman?! I'm no caveman!" he retorted offensively, crossing his arms. "At least I'm not some scary blonde who's so terrifying no guy would risk his neck to go after…" he mumbled under his breath. I probably would've found that funny if I weren't scared half to death.

I leaped as a quick pang and a satisfying yelp was heard, and the male was seen sprawled on the floor, his own foot shoved violently into his mouth. I stared, horrified, at the blonde as she brushed her palms off, placing them on her hips.

"You two are so immature," a new, deep voice spoke. I blinked—that sounded unusually close…

Peering up, my eyes widened significantly to see that the firm thing I had leaned up against was a red-haired boy's chest, and I squeaked loudly and soared to the other end of the bed in fright. "GAH! Where'd you come from?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," replied the younger-looking guy, who stared at me with emotionless sea geen eyes. I gulped as he crossed his arms. He looked oddly familiar…

"Where… Where am I?" was the next thing that came from my mouth, and I gazed in bewilderment at him. For some reason, I had trouble remember what had led to me being here. It was like a thick fog shunned me from what had happened a few hours ago.

"You're in Sunagakure—can't you tell from all the sand?" I looked back to the tall guy dressed in a single black suit.

"One of our guards found you unconscious outside the village, so he brought you here," added the blonde girl, who had ignored the red-haired boy's comment and sat on the other end of the bed. "How're you feeling?"

I stared at her, and asked myself that same question. Well, despite the fact that I really couldn't remember anything and I had a critical headache right now, I think I'm doing pretty good. My limbs ached and for some reason my face burned, but I don't know why. I sighed. "I'm feeling better now, I guess…"

"Who are you?" I shot a look to the boy with crimson hair. He sure was straightforward and direct.

"I'm…" I began, but blinked as I suddenly pulled a blank. But as soon as that blank was pulled, everything came flooding back.

The email… the seals… the jutsu… the ring of kanji… the darkness, and those blood-red eyes… that obnoxious voice. My eyes widened as the memory returned to me like a fast forwarded video. Suddenly I didn't feel as lost as I did before.

"I'm Nadine," I replied quietly, staring at the three persons with a sudden realization. These three people—I didn't know them, but I knew they were people Kira liked a lot.

"Nadine…" the blonde repeated. "That's an unusual name. I've never heard it before."

I blinked, and suddenly gasped—I forgot that the people here were all about native Japanese names. I couldn't change it now, though. "Yeah. My family's into weird names like that," I replied, laughing as genuinely as I could. "Uuuum! Who're you guys?"

"Kankuro," the guy in the black suit replied first, and he grinned and pointed a thumb at himself. Kankuro… he was number six on Kira's hot list—he was kind of cute, actually. If he looked good with that funky face paint (minus the itty bitty fact that he looked like a caveman), then I could only imagine how he'd look without it…

"I'm Temari—the oldest of us three." I looked over to the said blonde, who smiled at me. She was Reuben's favorite girl character of Naruto; and, although I didn't really know her, I could tell one of the reasons he liked her so much was her looks. She was pretty.

"Gaara," was the last introduction—the red-haired boy that looked not much older than me. I blinked at him as he stared uninterestingly back at me. If I remembered correctly, he was the second or third guy on Kira's list—but, looking at him, I wonder why. He was a short guy (although he was still taller than me by a few inches, it seemed), and had no eyebrows, frighteningly… not to mention he was pretty intimidating.

"It's… nice to meet you all!"

I had just met these three, but it feels like I've known them for forever…

"Where're you from, uh, Nadine?" Kankuro asked, drawling out my name as if he were trying to say it right.

I froze—where did I come from? I couldn't tell them I was from some alternate dimension where their existence is made known on some television program…and that they weren't real. That would've been stupid, mean, and I'd be known as not only the biggest nerd, but as an insane freak. I tried to hide my panicking face and thought for only a brief moment.

"I'm from… from Iwagakure!" I replied almost a little too quickly, and I shot them a fake grin. "I, um, came to visit Suna for a while because I wanted to see how it was like! The Tsuchikage sent me to check everything out 'cause he was… err… curious to see how things operated around here," my mind reached for distant ideas from fan fictions I've written that were Naruto-related, and continued, "I got ambushed by shinobi on my way here, and I wound up with you guys!"

"Iwagakure, huh…? That's new—they've never been concerned with us before," Temari replied to my story with curiosity. I grinned sheepishly—hopefully she wouldn't catch on.

I looked to Gaara—the person I deemed the most observant of the three, judging by his completely emotionless face—and gulped as he looked unconvinced. He rolled his eyes at his siblings' reactions and sighed. My heart beat faster—if he finds out that I lied about where I came from and I spilled the beans, not only will he probably imprison me forever, but he'll probably torture me until he finds out how to get back to my home and rip the world apart…!

… Or maybe he was nicer than that. You see, I've only seen the Gaara parts where he was bloodthirsty and a complete freak; but, after being informed and spoiled by Kira, he had supposedly turn the other cheek.

"Are you a kunoichi?" Gaara asked.

"Nah—I can't fight," I replied. That I knew for a fact.

"I figured as much—you certainly don't dress like a ninja," Temari commented, looking me up and down.

I peered down myself, and blinked—she was right. I was still wearing the clothes I was wearing at home: a knee-length white ruffled skirt, a fitting pale orange polo shirt, and flip-flops. "Y-Yeah… I travel better in these clothes," I lied right through my teeth, giving a toothy grin to the female.

"Where will you be staying?" inquired the impassive voice of the red-headed lad, and I gulped again. Why was it that he always brought up these questions that I practically had to beat my head over for to answer?

"Um… about that…" I started, searching for a logical answer. I've never been in Sunagakure except through imagination back home—and if I just name a random place that I'd be staying, he'd go and check it out and I'll be found out…!

Gah, I'm turning paranoid—Mom got to me…

"I see," Gaara cut me off, intelligently inferring that I had no where to stay. "I will make arrangements for you; Temari, I want you to introduce her to the village and buy her proper clothing and supplies."

I pouted very slightly. What wasn't proper about my clothes?

"Right," Temari replied, and she leaped off the bed. "C'mon then, Nadine—I'll dress you up nice and pretty," she called to me.

"Okay…" I was still as uncomfortable as heck, but I had managed to calm down a little bit. I slowly got off the bed and began following her.

"What about me?" Kankuro asked.

"I have a mission for you. Follow me."

Gaara left, and a Kankuro with a sparked interest followed him.

* * *

Sunagakure—it sure was a lively little village. Children rushed around playing random games, adults wandered around doing their own thing, and shops were buzzing with activity. It made me feel out of place—street markets aren't common where I came from.

"Well, first we should actually find you something that won't cause you to flash young eyes whenever a breeze comes by…"

I sighed as I stuck by Temari's side, listening to her criticize my clothes. Were they really that bad-looking? I mean, I know it's not exactly clothing you see every day here… but at least it's modest, and cute, and just something I'd wear. "What'd you have in mind?"

She led me down the street and into a shop to the left—a clothing shop, which I realized was dedicated to girls. I blinked at all the unusual styles. I had expected to see those robe-things I see people who lived in deserts on sale, but instead I saw some nice fashions made for the women who lived here. If you live in a desert, I guess you should at least try to find something good-looking to wear…

Temari led me near the back of the store, where a set of clothes—probably meant for girls around my age—were put on display. "Something along these lines…"

I blinked again—these were definitely clothes that I wasn't usually caught wearing.

"But I don't think—"

"Then don't think! Just dress," she interrupted me with a wide grin. Sliding an innumerable amount of clothes off their hangers and piling them into my arms, I was turned around and shoved towards the dressing rooms.

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"What's up, Gaara? You never send me on missions anymore."

Kankuro stood before his brother's desk, looking down curiously at him.

"That girl… did you notice anything strange about her?" Gaara asked, sitting comfortably in his tall chair. He looked a bit distracted, and his green eyes were downcast, as if he was thinking and talking at the same time.

"You mean Nadine? … Well, actually… she did sound like she was hiding something," Kankuro shrugged with little interest. "Why?"

"She seems… suspicious. While we were talking, she was looking around and speaking as if she didn't know what Sunagakure was in the first place," Gaara explained.

"But everyone knows about the Wind Country!"

"Exactly."

Kankuro made a face—so Gaara didn't call him in for a mission. "Oh… so that's why you wanted to talk. Well, what do you want me to do about it?" He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. "She could be completely harmless."

"Just… keep an eye on her for a while, and watch for anything out of place," Gaara said. "I don't want to make a mistake and endanger Sunagakure."

Kankuro's expression softened as he looked at the younger boy. A small, almost proud smile crept on his lips. "Gaara…" he whispered. "Will do. Where's she gonna stay?"

Gaara tapped the desk again. "I haven't decided yet."

"Hmm…" Kankuro brought a finger to his chin, and suddenly a small smirk curled onto his face. "I know where she could crash _and_ be useful at the same time."

Gaara tilted a brow at him. "And where's that?"

Kankuro rubbed the edge of his nose with his finger, a grin on his face. "She could live and work at the inn!"

A moment of silence passed, and a thoughtful Gaara took out some paperwork and began signing them. "I have an idea of where she could stay, as well."

He blinked. "And where's _that_?"

* * *

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

I sighed—man, did Temari know how to shop, or what? I don't think I've ever moved so much in my entire life… no wonder I'd never survive in sports—I was so out of shape I was ashamed of myself.

"That was the funnest mission Gaara's ever sent me on!" Temari declared loudly and happily, a couple shopping bags clutched in her hand.

"Yeah… no wonder you guys are so fit—you go running around for three stinkin' hours…" I complained, shopping bags held in my hand as well. There were shirts, skirts, pants, shoes, accessories, hair things, shampoo, soap, and your basic girlie needs—all stuffed into at least a dozen of these bags. It was an adventure, to say the least; and man, was I pooped.

"Aww, you know you had a blast—and those clothes look so cute on you!" Temari replied with a smirk. "You have a tiny body frame, so of course, the cute little girl clothes fit right in with you!"

I sighed. "It's not my fault," I mumbled, looking at what I was now wearing. I wore a soft pink shirt similar to a fitting baby-doll top, like what they have everywhere at Kohl's; except the only things holding it up was the tighter chest boundings and the puffed arm cuffs (so basically, from the bottom of the chest and down to the end, it was like a dress… on your stomach). It was trimmed in white and had an ivory lace lining the bottom; and on the side, in a faded white, was the large outline of Sunagakure's symbol. It was a really deep V-neck, so I persuaded Temari to led me get a white undershirt that was tight from my stomach to the top of my bellybutton. At first I thought it looked horrible on me, but after looking twice, I guess it complimented the really, really pale brown hair that I had.

Next, on my legs were worn a pair of white Capri-like pants that hugged my legs comfortably down to a little below my knees. Around the middle of my left leg was a pink ribbon tied into a bow; and matching it was a pink bow tied around my right wrist. The pants looked like leggings under a miniskirt; the shirt was long enough (down to my mid-thighs, amazingly) to be a short skirt. And lastly, a pair of comfy pink sandals adorned my feet. As for accessories, Temari made me get a small, fat coin purse with a long thin strap for walking around, and a pair of pink hair clips to pull back part of my long bangs from my face.

The outfit was cute—I don't think I've ever worn something like this before. Needless to say, I felt very… preppy.

Temari laughed and patted me on the head. She was practically an entire head and a quarter taller than I was, making me feel even less significant. Up ahead, behind all the crowds and heads of people I didn't know, loomed the humongous mansion that Gaara and his siblings lived in. I didn't want to sound stupid, so I didn't ask Temari: but was Gaara the Kazekage? I remembered Kira telling me he became one in Shippuuden… but I didn't know if that time-skip happened yet.

We reached the mansion and wandered inside, Temari proclaiming with a loud voice, "We're home, guys!"

I grudgingly released my bags onto the floor with a thump, and rushed to the nearest couch in the vicinity.

"It's about time! Jeez, I'd hate to go shopping with women. They're too indecisive, and they take too long to buy anything."

My eyes shot over to Kankuro, who had come to greet us first as he came down the stairs from the hallway in the back. He paused in the nook and looked from Temari to me, and he smirked under his face paint. "Well, well, you're looking pretty spiffy, young lady."

I snuffed and collapsed onto my back, exhausted. "Thank you, kind sir…"

"Where's Gaara?" Temari asked.

Kankuro pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's coming."

"What took you two so long?" The slightly peeved voice of Gaara spoke as he, sure enough, followed from the stairs, his arms crossed questioningly over his chest. "Then sun's already set."

He peered over to me, and he looked me up and down briefly. "You look…" his face scrunched up slightly, "… tired. Go get some rest."

I sat up and yawned, giving him an 'I-would-if-I-could' expression. "Uh, yeah, sure. …Where am I staying, first of all?"

"Go get your rest," Gaara told me, motioning me to follow him back up the stairs. "Temari, Kankuro, you are dismissed," he said with his back turned, "and Nadine, follow me."

I gulped and quickly hopped off the couch, making a move for the many bags I held. My hand reached for them, before a few hands of sand appeared and grabbed the handles of each of the bags from the floor and Temari's hands.

"I'll carry them," Gaara said. "It'll slow you down too much. Let's go."

"O-Okay," I muttered, following after him as he disappeared back up the stairs.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged expressions and shrugged.

* * *

"Wow, this place is huge…!" I exclaimed as we traveled through the long hallways of the upper levels, my eyes swapping places with different pictures and documents that hung off the walls. We had been walking for almost three minutes now, and we still didn't make it to wear I would be staying for the moment; so I was occupying myself with the various furnishings.

Gaara replied sarcastically, "Most mansions tend to be."

"Hmph, sor-ry," I huffed, crossing my arms defensively. I looked back; the hands of sand were still following us, each finger carrying two bags. I felt like asking Gaara how he was doing that, but I decided otherwise; I didn't want to sound like an idiot who didn't know what chakra was or how it operated. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost."

We passed a few more walls and turned into several more hallways before finally reaching a room that was near the back of the entire building. I expected it to be my room and smiled; but Gaara banged once on the door with the side of his fist, causing it to slowly open to reveal a small set of stairs. My smile faded, and I sighed. "Is there an end to this?"

Gaara didn't reply and I followed him up the stairs, and into a small square room that had two doors on the left and right side, and one on the far northern wall. In the middle was a completely round and thick wall that I suspected had a room inside. The red-haired boy led me to the right, and paused at the first door. "This is it," he declared quietly, and I softly threw it open to reveal a very spotless room with crimson carpet. A single bed sat in the top left corner, a vanity mirror sat in the top right corner, and a round wooden table rested in the center of the room.

I stared, and suddenly found myself smiling. "It's so cute!" I squealed and dashed into the room, dancing on the soft carpet before plopping lazily onto the bed. I curled up over the covers and grinned contentedly, "Thanks for letting me stay tonight, Gaara…san." Japanese… Japanese…

I had intended to pretend sleeping, but as soon as I shut my eyes, my mind shut down for a nice long nap.

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

Gaara followed Nadine in with the hands of sand following him, and they dropped her many bags onto the floor.

'What a strange girl,' Gaara thought to himself, watching as Nadine flitted around and plopped onto the bed. He sighed, and walked over to her. "It's very easy to get lost around the mansion, so stay around this area unless—" He paused as he saw the brunette napping peacefully on the bed already. The red-head blinked, and looked away with a small sigh.

"You'd better be ready for tomorrow," he said to her sleeping form.

He walked out and shut the door quietly behind him.

* * *

**A/N: **Whoooo! A really long chapter, guys! Just for you. X3 Just introducing Gaara and his sibs officially. ♥ Hoepfully it wasn't too long! xD I don't think I'll have many chapters that'll be this long… at least, I hope I don't. My fingers hurt. xP

Please read and review, everybody…! I really really need them! nn It helps me type a whole lot faster, with more motivation. ;3

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	4. It's Not a Dream

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hola, everyone! ;3 Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys sent in! nn I really and truly appreciate it—and I sure do hope you guys keep encouraging me, 'cause it helps me a lot. … And yes, I'll keep saying that. xP 'Cause I'm not lying!

But anyway, sorry for the long wait. I'll do my best to make it up for you all! nn

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and Cruel Fate belongs to moi! X3

* * *

**c h a p t e r . four:  
It's Not a Dream  
**

_Mmm, that was some lie back there, missy._

'_What?'_

_Why didn't you just tell them you were from California, like you're supposed to be? Now they could just gather info on you and you'd be found out… and you have no idea how scary Subaku no Gaara could be when angered._

'…'

_Speechless?_

'_He'll find out eventually… that I know.'_

_Congratulations._

'_Shut up… who are you anyway?'_

_Aww, I'm forgotten already? What a brat._

'_Don't call me that!'_

_Meh… it's getting bright. I'll see you later… b-r-a-t._

Sunlight poured through an unknown source.

"Graah… I'm not… a brat…"

My dark world suddenly erupted into a painfully bright light and I sat up straight in my bed, my hair unimaginably out of place and a line of drool trailing from my mouth. I yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Good moooorning… no one?" I said in a groggy voice, peering around curiously. I was in a room that was an odd off-white… and in a tiny bed surrounded by absolutely no stuffed animals. I blinked.

This isn't my room.

"Wh-Where am I?" I squeaked, grabbing my blanket and spinning my head around frantically. My walls were an earthy green and brown color… and these walls were just plain white. I hopped off the bed and walked around slowly, drawing in everything with my eyes—before once again, everything came showering down on me.

I wasn't in my room anymore… no, I wasn't in my _world_ anymore.

I was in the Naruto world… out of the comfort of my own dimension.

"This has to be a dream," I said to myself, frowning noticeably. I pinched myself, and squeaked at the pain; no, I was very well awake. I could be dreaming too but—nah…

I should be panicking… I should be screaming my head off. But no, I wasn't… not yet, at least. Right now I was just wandering around the guest room, staring at my hideous image in the mirror. I was a mess. Using a supplied brush on the table, I roughly combed out the tangles in my long, dull brown hair, and rubbed the sleep out of my bright blue eyes. I saw I was still in the outfit I wore the day before—a result of shopping with Temari. It was then that I decided to pull my hair back into a very messy bun. I really should cut it—it was pretty long already…

I heard a knock on my door, and I squeaked before slowly answering it. A familiar face covered in thick purple paint greeted me on the other side, a smirk plastered on his face. "I see you're finally awake; you sleep like a rock, kid," he commented, shaking his head.

I blinked, before screaming and slamming the door in his face. I patted my beating heart for a few moments before opening it again—and Kankuro stared at me as if I were an idiot. "D-Don't do that, I said!"

"Do _what_?" Kankuro growled, crossing his arms defensively. "Whatever—it's lunch time. Let's go eat."

"… Lunch?" I asked.

The man clad in black nodded, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "You've been sleeping for almost half the day now."

"… Oh," was all I could reply. I followed him out the door, my steps feeling light and fast—I wasn't used to this place.

Kankuro looked over his shoulder at me. "Oh, and a word of warning…" he said, dipping his head closer to mine (he was even taller than Temari was!), "watch for Temari's cooking. It might be poisoned."

My eyes widened. "She poisons your food?!"

Kankuro laughed softly, "Nah, but it usually feels like it afterwards!"

My face paled, and I sighed. This was going to be an interesting day…

**

* * *

**

I didn't know how hungry I was until I started eating. Temari had whipped up a casual lunch that consisted of onigiri, rice, and fried (more like burnt) noodles, but I enjoyed them enough to have three more bowls. Kankuro gaped at me as he hadn't even taken two bites and I was already finishing my second bowl, and Temari smiled proudly.

"Whoo!" I sighed, finishing my third and final serving. "That hit the right spot… thanks a bunch, Temari," I grinned, patting my stomach complacently.

"Well, at least someone appreciates my cooking!" Temari smiled, her clean hands on her hips.

Kankuro huffed, pushing away his first serving—which still had more than half left on it. "Yeah, at least _someone_ appreciates her cooking…"

"What was that?!"

"Nothing, nothing, sis'!"

"Hey… where's Gaara-san?" I piped up, peering around curiously. The scary red-head didn't show up yet. "He still sleeping, too?"

Kankuro and Temari paused from their bickering and looked at each other, before Kankuro shook his head. "Nah, Gaara doesn't eat that much. When he does, he usually eats by himself, anyway."

"… Oh," I replied, standing up. "Which reminds me… where am I gonna start living from now on?"

Temari shrugged, collecting the dishes. "I don't know—Gaara wanted to talk to you once you woke up. It's probably about that."

I gulped. "By… myself?"

Kankuro laughed, gently patting my shoulder. "Hey, he may look and sound like he'd bite your head off, but he's not all that bad."

"But why would I have to talk to him? Aren't I supposed to talk to the Kazekage?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"… Gaara _is_ the Kazekage," Temari said, washing the dishes.

I blinked. Kira never told me that. "Is he… really? But he looks so young! How old is he?"

"Hmm… he turned fifteen several months ago," Kankuro replied, his hands on his hips. "That's odd—everyone's heard of Gaara. He's the youngest Kage in history." I refrained from letting my jaw drop—Gaara was only fifteen? Sarutobi was, like, sixty-something, and Tsunade's like, fifty-something. Gaara was only a year older than me… wow. He must be good.

"Oh, uh, yeah… I guess I kinda forgot," I replied too quickly and too sheepishly, causing the two siblings to stare at me. I giggled passively and back up towards the stairs. "So, um… where's his office?"

"… It's close to the room where you stayed, but it's the room at the very end of the hall," Temari replied.

Mumbling a 'thanks' I dashed up the stairs, despite the fact that I'd probably get lost as soon as I got to the top. That was a close one. I cursed my big mouth and uneducated mind and sighed.

I doubted talking with Gaara would hide my secret any better, either.

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yes, I'm sure…"

"But what if that one-tailed kid finds out—"

"He won't, Shui…"

Benni growled for the umpteenth time at his mumbling teammate, who had his arms crossed over his chest. They were standing in the middle of an ever green forest, the afternoon sun hanging over them in brilliant rays. Shui's blood red hair shined, while Benni's dark brown hair only grew richer in color—and Benni nodded at his senior, the twigs crunching as he took a step forward. "I'll see you later, then."

"Fine, fine," Shui replied, shrugging, "But be careful. You know how this place is."

"Heh, like they can stop me," Benni flashed a conceited grin at the male, and looked forward. "If I start now, I should reach Suna by nightfall…"

"And you can swipe the girl tonight."

"Yup."

Shui smiled. "Sounds like a plan… took you long enough."

"Meh, like I'd go back on my word."

Benni darted forward, and in a matter of seconds, disappeared from Shui's sight. The red-headed male sighed and shook his head, heading back to the cave. "Heh, he sure has changed…"

* * *

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

It took me almost fifteen minutes, but I finally found my room again… and in a few more minutes, I had stumbled across Gaara's office door. I stared at it for a few moments, before hesitantly knocking on it—and a deep, serious voice answered me:

"Come in."

I held my breath, mentally reminding myself to not make any stupid mistakes. I went in, and saw him sitting in his comfy-looking chair, doing paperwork. He took one look at me and finished one paper before sitting back and watching me as I stepped forward. "Um… good morn—"

"Sit down." He commanded rather than suggested. I nodded faintly and plopped into a seat in front of his desk.

"… So… what's up?" I asked casually, trying to strike up a hostile less conversation.

He didn't seem eager, however. "You're not from here."

I blinked. "Uh… what?" I gulped, my body tensing under his intense stare. Gosh, did he have the scariest expressions in his eyes, or what?

"You're a terrible liar," Gaara commented indifferently. "Fine. I'll let you roam free for a while. I doubt you'd be a threat to me even if you were a spy, anyway. You're weak."

My fists balled and I frowned, looking down. I couldn't look at him straight in the face any longer. "I'm not weak," I mumbled quietly under my breath.

"Until you tell me everything, you'll be staying in this mansion with my siblings and me, in that room you were in yesterday," Gaara continued. I could feel his stare pierce through me like a dozen needles in my skull. "And you may not leave Sunagakure."

I blinked, nibbling on my lip. Dang, this guy was harsh… _'But… I have to go meet Reuben,'_ I recalled suddenly in my mind, staring at my fists. He told me to stay put in the village, and he was going to come get me… but I didn't think he was expecting me to be in the Kazekage's mansion. "But you don't know I'm not from here," I said, looking up.

"Your eyes speak more truth than your words," the red-head went on, and I remained silent. "But you're right; I don't know for sure. That's why you'll be able to wander around the village."

"Oh, whoopee…"

"But."

The young Kazekage rose to his feet and walked towards me. I subconsciously rose to my feet and backed up, afraid of what he might do. He backed me into the wall and I was forced to gaze up into his soft, yet firm green eyes, and I gulped. "If I find out you _are_ someone dangerous…" he started again. He dipped his head into me so that his words hovered only inches away from my ear, "I won't hold back."

And just like that, he backed away, and walked back to his desk. I just stood there, my heart pounding against my ribcage, my eyes wide with fear and shock. If this were a dream, then that threat sounded very real and my fear felt like reality. Gaara sat back in his seat and glared at me with somewhat… inspecting eyes? Talk about distrust.

"You are dismissed… Nadine."

"… Right, Kazekage… sama," I whispered, trying my best not to get out too quickly or keep my legs from shaking so much.

Subaku no Gaara… he was beyond scary. He was terrifying.

As soon as I was ways away from his office, I tore through the hallway to lock myself in my room. Digging into the comforts of my bed, I hugged my pillow to my chest, my heart still beating wildly.

This was definitely not a dream.

And I suddenly found myself not wanting to be rescued… if Gaara thinks that Reuben is some bad dude, he'll kill me. A large lump rose in my throat and I hugged the pillow tighter. My body didn't stop shaking.

"Reuben…" I shuddered, "help me…"

* * *

Whooo! Finally, chapter four! ;3 Sorry for the long wait again, folks… and sorry if I made Kazekage-sama sound too harsh for you. Personally, I love this side of him… not the blood-lusting murderer type of guy, but the really protective, threatening, and kick-donkey kind of character. ♥ 

But anyway! PLEASE REVIEW, everyone! I love them, love them, love them!

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out, dattebayo!


	5. Imprisonment

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hola, everyone! ;3 Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys sent in! nn I really and truly appreciate it—and I sure do hope you guys keep encouraging me, 'cause it helps me a lot. … And yes, I'll keep saying that. xP 'Cause I'm not lying!

But anyway, sorry for the long wait. I'll do my best to make it up for you all! nn

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and Cruel Fate belongs to moi! X3

* * *

**c h a p t e r . five:  
Imprisonment**

Just hours after my talk—well, more like lecture—with Gaara, I had managed to wander from my room and out the mansion. He told me I could wander around the village, and I gladly decided to; I wanted out of there as soon as possible. When I first looked at the mansion, I thought it was a beautiful house…

… but now that I look at it, I see it as a prison.

Kicking at a rock on the side of the road, I tried to refrain from crying. How could someone like Gaara become Kazekage? He was cruel, cold-hearted, too intimidating, and… I didn't like him one bit. I didn't like him when I was in the reality world, and I still don't like him now that I'm living the anime.

Was coming here really the wisest thing to do?

I guess the only reason I came was because of Reuben… no, the _only_ reason I came was because of Reuben. He gave me the chance of a lifetime to get to him, and I took it… so here I am. I couldn't wait to meet him again; it's been way too long.

But one little question lingered in the back of my mind:

"Why did he come here in the first place? Where did he learn that jutsu from?" I asked myself, looking up at the now orange sky. The sun would be setting soon, and I'd have to go back to that _place_…

My attention was brought back down as excited squeals sounded. They were children. Blinking, my eyes traveled across the streets of the village; now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been around Sunagakure. Despite how hot and dry it looked in the anime, it felt pretty nice and decent in the night. As expected, the ground was nothing but dirt, and the buildings were made from… cement, was it? I passed one, and gazed at it curiously. It reminded me of one of those suburban homes that existed in deserted towns in the south… I've always wanted to see one.

I couldn't fully enjoy the scenery, though, no matter how nice it was… my mind was wandering, and the source of it was a certain red-headed Kazekage. My fists clenched and my head lowered at the reminder.

"_You're a terrible liar."_

"_You're weak."_

"_You may not leave Sunagakure."_

"_I will kill you."_

His words rang through my mind innumerable times and I quivered. My head slowly pulled back up and I met with a small, deserted playground. I looked back—apparently, I'd taken quite the stroll from the mansion. Now I was in a little park by the surrounding wall of the city. There was only a small swing set with dead trees around it, but it gave a nice, clear view of the mountainside that sat just miles beyond the wall.

I sat on one of the wooden swings and stared ahead—those mountains were beautiful.

I found myself comfortable in this spot.

**

* * *

**

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"She isn't back yet?"

"Nope, not that I've noticed…"

Gaara tapped on his desk with his fingers, glaring at the paperwork before him. Kankuro was standing in front of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What'd you say to her?" Kankuro asked, looking down at his brother with a small frown. "She looked really upset when I saw her leave."

"I don't trust her," Gaara replied unhesitantly.

"Well, bro', she's only been here for… not even a day," Kankuro replied. "I personally don't think she means any harm, so far."

"I told her that if she endangers the village, then I would kill her," he ignored Kankuro's hard stare, "That's all."

"Gaara… in case you haven't noticed, Nadine looks like the shy, nervous type—"

"She's weak."

"Not necessarily," Kankuro replied, a small, joking grin on his face. "She ate three servings of Temari's cooking." Gaara noticeably grimaced, making Kankuro laugh.

The Kazekage went silent for a while, as if debating something in his head. Finally he looked back at his older brother, "I believe she may be a part of the Inditement."

"… Seriously?" As if it were a magic word, Kankuro fell quiet, plopping into the chair next to him. "What makes you think that?"

"Just a feeling," Gaara replied. "She's not like normal people."

"You saying she's an alien?"

"Maybe."

Kankuro smirked, turning away. "Dang, you're harsh." Gaara huffed nonchalantly, and Kankuro grinned sympathetically at the red-head. "Maybe you should just try her first. You have an idea of her identity, but I doubt you actually know _who_ she is yet."

Gaara brought his gaze from his paper to Kankuro, his eyes narrowing. "What are you saying?"

"Just… be nice to her. Who knows, maybe you'll grow onto her," the older male shrugged.

"Don't mock me."

"I'm serious," Kankuro went on, grinning at the Kazekage who was glaring at him. "She has a cute face, don't you think? She'd probably make a good—"

"Enough," Gaara cut him off.

Smiling, Kankuro nodded. "Then you'll at least be nicer?"

"Hn," Gaara replied. The puppeteer's smile widened—that was Gaara's 'yes'.

"Now what makes you think she's part of… _that_?" Kankuro asked, his expression suddenly becoming solemn and listening attentively to his brother.

Gaara leaned back in his chair, hesitating only slightly before beginning. "I… had a visitor yesterday."

**( flashback )**

"_Who are you?" Gaara asked blatantly, his eyes narrowing at the suspicious woman in front of him._

_She smirked only slightly before covering it with a fake grin, tucking her hands behind her back. "I'm referred to as Koutai, Kazekage-dono," she replied with a respectful bow, her long silver hair falling over her face as she did._

_The Kazekage crossed his arms. It had only been a few minutes into talking with this person and already he didn't like her—there was just something about her, and those strange metallic eyes…_

"_What is your business here?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her's._

_Koutai smiled. "I'm just a visitor from Iwagakure come to visit you with a few words."_

"_Which are…?"_

"_Ooh, direct today, aren't we?" Gaara glared and Koutai smirked, flipping her hair behind her back. "Well, I suppose that's what meetings are about, neh? Basically, our Tsuchikage will be sending a young girl—a village guest—to come and transfer to Sunagakure for a small while. He intends to create an alliance with the village of the Wind, you see?"_

_His sea green eyes never moved. "Iwagakure…" he repeated, waiting a few moments before sitting forward in his chair. "I see. All right."_

"_Great! She should be coming in later today or definitely tomorrow," Koutai responded almost too quickly, giving him another bow. "Well then, I gotta report as soon as possible! Tsuchikage-sama isn't one for patience." Winking at the young Kage, she headed for the door. "See you later, Kazekage-dono."_

_Gaara could've glared holes into the door for he was staring at them so hard._

_He had a sinking feeling something big was up._

**( end )**

"… Why didn't you tell me or Temari about this?" Kankuro asked after Gaara had explained.

"I wanted to make sure she wasn't pulling a prank," he replied. "But apparently she wasn't… and Nadine is the guest."

"Well, you're being very hospitable…"

Gaara glared, and shook his head. "She's a horrible liar, though. I doubt that she's just a visitor. Either that, or she's being used."

"I think it's the latter. Spies are usually great liars," Kankuro nodded.

"I can't be too sure," Gaara responded, continuing with his paperwork.

Kankuro thought for a while before a question struck him. "But you never answered me—what makes you think she's part of the… the _that_?"

"I told you: it's a feeling," said the Kazekage. Kankuro wanted to face palm himself.

"Sorry to break it to you, bro', but not all first impressions are accurate…"

"We'll see, won't we?" Gaara inquired intelligently, causing the older boy to sigh.

**

* * *

( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

"Gaaahh, what kind of famous Shinobi village doesn't have street lights?!"

For the gazillionth time that evening I walked head-on into a building, giving me my tenth or twentieth bruise on my face. Already I had been hanging out for two or three hours, and I figured the smartest thing to do was head back before things got dark…

… but here I am, wandering like a lost puppy around a darkening Sunagakure. I hope I don't have a curfew… then I'd get another serving of Gaara's wonderful spine-chilling glares. Oi, Gaara—even his name makes me grimace. Hopefully my remaining days with him causes him to somehow grow nicer… if that was possible. He already hates me anyways.

I squinted through the darkness and attempted to weave my way through and around sleeping houses. This place really is hopeless without street lights—it was like wandering through a deserted old western town at night. I held my clutched hands to my chest; all those horror movies I watched at night were starting to get to me.

Pretty soon I'd start hearing noises, then I'd hear footsteps, then I'd be backed up into an alley, staring at Freddy Krueger in his blood-lusting face…

"Oi, Nadine, you're scaring yourself…"

Wow, I really was scaring myself. All of a sudden the world got blacker… as if my thoughts had suddenly created a virtual horror movie right now. Everything became more quiet, and the only things I could hear were my small breaths, my footsteps, and the reverberating thrash of my quickening heart…

"I'm being stu—"

I was cut off by footsteps.

Instantly halting, my breath caught like a fly to a sticky trap in my throat. My eyes widened and my heart beat faster as I looked around. More footsteps. My heels dug into the cold dirt.

Okay, okay… you gotta understand my feelings right now. I had just gotten threatened by the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I had been left alone to my insane mind for a couple hours, and I was wandering around, alone, cold, and lost _at night_. I had a right to get freaked out by footsteps.

"H-H-H-Hello?" Fear silenced my voice so that it came as a soft whisper, and I stood frozen in my spot. My blood ran cold and I gulped.

A few more footsteps, and then silence.

A strong hand clamped over my shoulder, and I screamed.

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**A/N:** Whooo! Finally, chapter five, everyone! Hope you enjoy. X3 Left yah with a cliffy, heehee… if you wanna read more, then review, review, review!

DATTEBAYO!

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	6. We Meet Again

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Greetings from Suna, folks! Thanks so much for the reviews… I really love them. nn I even got some new readers, so welcome! Hope you stick with me 'til the end! ;3 I wrote this chapter all in one day… so hope you all like it! Don't forget to leave some reviews! X3

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and Cruel Fate belongs to moi! X3

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**c h a p t e r . six:  
We Meet Again**

_A few more footsteps, then silence._

_A strong hand clamped over my shoulder, and I screamed._

"AAAAAAAH!"

A cold hand curled over my shoulder and sent anything but comfy goosebumps up and down my skin. On an instant and girly reflex, my heel unlocked and I spun to slap the stranger across his unlucky face. My palm never made it, and instead smacked against… dirt?

That's right. I faced a shield of sand that my hand met, and I felt the hand on my shoulder release and tightly grip the slapping wrist. The shield fell and I stared into the familiar glaring sea green eyes of… Gaara. My jaw dropped. "I-I-It's y-y-you…"

"What are you still doing out here?" he asked a little too calmly, and I gulped.

"I… I was making my way back, b-but I got lost…" I replied weakly, wincing under the grip he had on me. I guess he thought I was gonna try to sneak out or something.

He inspected me before dropping my wrist, which I withdrew to my chest. "What about you?"

The red-head walked passed me. "I was checking up on you."

That almost sounded nice until he talked more.

"You're my responsibility now. Enemy or not, as long as you live under my rules, I will be held accountable for whatever happens to you. If you really are a guest from Iwagakure, then it's my duty to keep an eye on you, whether I like it or not."

He sounded like a teacher, or a dad…

"… And I always take walks at this time," he finished, his back facing me. "It's not safe for women like you to be wandering around at night. Let's head back."

"Women… like me?" I repeated.

Gaara had already began walking ahead. "The weak, vulnerable type of women."

Offended, I simply crossed my arms and huffed, trailing a little ways behind him. "Hmph, meanie!"

The leader shrugged, not offended, and continued on. I glared holes into his back and quietly sneaked to his side, so that I didn't get lost. Another thing that affected my vision was my lack of good eyesight—my glasses were gone, so I couldn't see very well. Hopefully I wouldn't run into anymore buildings with Gaara leading me…

_**PANG.**_

"Oooooouchiieeee!" I yelped, pain surging through my forehead. Tears brimmed my eyes as my shaky palm patted my victim. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't see you!"

"… You're talking to a wall," Gaara stated from behind me, me hearing the slightest hint of amusement in his tone.

My face flushed. "Uh… yeah, I knew that," I mumbled, stepping back.

"You have bad vision," the red-head observed as I clumsily bumped into him.

I growled, deciding to just stand there with arms crossed. "What was your first clue?"

"You can't be much of a threat if you can't see very well," Gaara said.

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might_ not_ be a threat?" I asked, turning away with another huff. I could hear Gaara turn and I looked back to him. Suddenly I felt something wrap around my wrist, tugging me gently forward. What is this… "Sand?"

"I will guide you. Let's go."

I gazed at him (as much I could) skeptically before advancing. "Um… okay. Thank you…"

"Hn."

Was he trying to be nicer?

**

* * *

**

The rest of our walk was spent in silence, with the occasional me pointing out something that caught my interest. I tried numerous times to strike up conversations with the silent kage, but he always gave me these one-syllable answers:

The most famous one—"Hn."

"No."

"Yes."

"Quiet." (which I decided was one syllable, too)

Then there were different phrases he said to me:

"Be quiet."

"You're too loud."

"Not very intelligent, are you?" (which is probably the longest he's ever said to me)

In a matter of about five minutes I learned that he didn't like to talk to weak, vulnerable women (cough) like myself and obviously didn't enjoy hearing my voice. Oh _yeah_, I think he's starting to love me.

Sigh…

Anyway, now we were back at the house and I was left wandering around the bottom floor. Temari and Kankuro were upstairs doing whatever, and Gaara was… I have no clue where he was, so that basically left me all alone again. Except this time it isn't dark, and Freddy Krueger isn't hiding out anywhere… at least, not according to my unlimited Naruto knowledge.

I figured that this place was going to be my home for a while, so Gaara probably wouldn't mind if I decided to get to know every crack and corner of this place. There wasn't anything interesting in the kitchen (besides the empty cookie jars and the stack of dirty dishes in the sink) and the living room was boring.

So now I was in the farthest room from the front door—a big library that had books everywhere. I don't think I've seen so many, not even in the local library back home. There were books all over the walls in shelves, and extra ones were stashed in boxes in front of them… and there was a single long table in the middle of the room, probably for Gaara.

Books had always amazed me—I love them to death. Reading had always been a favorite past-time of mine, whether they be comic books, novels, or biographies… I was just like that. Most, if not all, books interest me. I wonder what kinds there were in Naruto?

I traced my fingers along the spines of books as I walked around the room. I didn't feel like reading now. It had been a long day, and my head throbbed like crazy. And I'll give you three guesses why.

Passing some tomes, I found that not all these were documents or anything significant-sounding… there were comic books, novels, romance stories, and magazines; everything was jumbled together. I paused as I came across something that caught my eye. Blinking, I tilted my head to read the golden letters on the spine of a thick, maroon-colored book. The title was frighteningly familiar…

"_Wingard_…?"

My hand reached for it, hovering over it, before a voice stopped me.

"What'cha doing?"

I yelped and spun around. "Oh, noth—"

My words hung off my lips, and my eyes widened as large as tennis balls. Time just seemed to stop—everything just seemed to pause, and my body slowly turned to fully face the voice.

There, leaning casually on the edge of the desk, was none other than…

"Reuben?"

He smiled at me with glossy white teeth, his emerald green eyes sparkling happily at me. "Long time no see, Nadie."

I squealed and practically tackled him, catching him the biggest hug I could manage. I laughed and cried all together, while he laughed and lovingly patted my back and head. It had been so long—six months, which was enough to suffice for eternity for me—and now here he was, in the last place I think I'd meet him. One thing I noticed about him was that his pretty dark brown hair had grown longer and shaggier, and his face more rugged. If it weren't for the fact that he was my brother, he wouldn't look like a college man.

"Reuben! What're you doing here?" I sniffed, pulling back and wiping my tears.

Reuben shrugged and placed his fists on his hips. "Oh, you know, I just heard that the Kazekage's place was a nice one, and I decided to stop by. I was surprised to catch you here, though." He ran a hand through his messy brown hair and grinned. "How're you doing?"

"Just great," I rolled my eyes, sarcasm dripping from my words. He laughed.

"Not as great?"

"The Kazekage here's mean," I pouted, crossing my arms. "I'm guessing he's not too fond of me; he threatened me already!"

Reuben frowned and gave me another hug, which I immediately melted into. "Aww, sorry, sis'—I guess it's a good thing I came, then, neh?"

"It sure is!" I replied, snuggling into him. "Where're you staying? Are you gonna take me back now?"

It was then that he pulled away and looked me in the eye, his pretty eyes captivating mine. "Sorry, Nadie, I just came to check up on you. Trust me, believe me, you're gonna stay with me soon… but for now you need to wait for, at the most, a month. We gotta make big preparations at my place and it'll take some time."

Frowning, I gripped his hand in mine. "You mean I have to stay with Gaara for a month?!"

"At the most, I said," Reuben winked, making me pout. He stood erect and patted my head. "But now I gotta jet… no one exactly knows I'm here," he grinned mischievously and lifted a finger to his lips.

"Reuben…"

"Nadie." Looking up, I watched as he pulled something out of his pocket—a necklace. "I want you to wear this. It's like a radar; I have my chakra stored in it, so I can find it and you wherever you might be. That way, I know where to look instead of waiting and wandering."

I held it in my hands and marveled at it. It was just a simple silver necklace with a blood red pendant dangling from it. Inside I could see and feel powerful energy swirling inside—Reuben's chakra. "I have, like, a gazillion questions to ask you."

"I know. I'll explain everything to you once I come back," he replied, nodding. "But until then… just chill, all right?"

I sighed and nodded, slipping the necklace around my neck. "Okay… but don't take too long."

"You can count on it." He pecked the top of my head lightly and pulled me into another hug. "But I'm gonna have to knock you out here, sis'. My group's a bit… secretive, you see."

"… Huh?"

"I'll see you soon."

The side of his hand smacked my neck and I fell unconscious.

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**A/N:** Wooohooo, chapter six! nn Heehee, most expected the clamper to be Reuben. xP Well… at least he showed up later. ;3 So tell me what yah think—REVIEW! The more I get, the faster I update! Sound fair?

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	7. Interrogation

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hey again, dudes! Thanks so much for the reviews! ;3 Keep 'em up—they're making me so happy! ♥ I love you all! ;w; Sorry for taking longer than usual with this chapter; I was feeling oddly unmotivated. Oo; Heheh, some of you accusin' poor Reuben, eh? Mmm! You'll see, you'll see… that's all I'll tell yah. X3 I apologize if this chapter seems off to you… I didn't exactly write it to have much meaning, and I meant it to be a like a filler chapter. xP But I at least put something interesting in… so yeah. ;3

So no I present to you chapter seven!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, unfortunately… I only own my characters and this story! ;3

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**c h a p t e r . seven**

**Interrogation**

_I was running through complete and utter darkness. There was no ground, no sky, no surroundings—I was sprinting, alone, through a pitched abyss. No wind met me, no voice reached me; I could feel nothing, save for the beating of my heart and the intense fear that swept through me…_

"_You can't keep running, Nadine…"_

"_Leave me alone!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face. I was running… running from something, someone. I didn't know who, and I didn't know why; all I knew was that I needed to get out of there, away from whatever was following me._

_It scared me to death._

_I could feel the presence behind me, chasing after me—I pushed harder, faster, all in vain. In the distance, I could see a faint light—almost like a star in the midnight sky—a little ways away. My eyes widening, I dashed toward the light… and as I grew closer, that light formed into a figure. His formed was faded, but I knew he was facing me. It was pitch black, but I could see his hand reaching to me… a calm, gentle help that was being offered to me._

"_Please, help me!" I plead, extending my hand to him. He remained silent; I could hear my pursuer coming closer._

"_You can't keep running…"_

"_I will protect you," whispered the shady man, his voice audible now that I was closer._

_I leaped forward, my tears trailing behind me, our fingers about to make contact…_

"Wake up."

I woke up in a cold sweat, the first thing that met my eyes being the soft peru ceiling. My eyes widening, I found myself breathing heavily and my body trembling; my fingers tightly grasped the couch I was lying on as I slowly tried to register my surroundings. "Wh-What…?"

"You were having a nightmare."

My eyes rolled over to the side to meet Gaara, who was standing over me and gazing blankly at me. "A nightmare…?" I repeated, attempting to get into a sitting position. "When did I go to sleep…?" I couldn't remember anything right now.

Gaara stared at me passively. "Two days ago."

I paused. "… Two days ago?!" My eyes locked with his in shock. "I've been out for two days?! Why?!"

"You tell me. I found you unconcious in the library," he replied, inspecting me skeptically.

My gaze traveled to my hands as I tried to think of what had happened. Two days… I've been asleep, err, unconscious, for two days… I was in the library, about to read a book… then all of a sudden… oh, yeah! "Reuben…" I whispered incoherently, and I quickly held my tongue, hoping Gaara didn't catch that. I cast a small glance to him; he didn't look like he did. But then again, he WAS Gaara… "I guess I must've slipped and hit my head or something…" I blinked at him.

"Not a surprise…"

I pouted, but chose to avoid that comment. How mean! "Um… where're Temari and Kankuro?" I asked, peering around. So far, it was only me and the red-head devil in the living room. I didn't hear any hollars or arguments; unusual in this household…

"They're out," Gaara simply replied. "What were you doing in the library?"

"I got curious, since I was left all by my lonesome down here last—err, two nights ago," I shrugged, stretching my arms and neck. "I love to read and libraries, so…"

"… I see," he said, albeit a little doubtfully.

"Um…yeah," I blinked, standing up. My hands slipped into my pocket—and it bumped into something that wasn't there before. It felt like… paper. Trying hard to restrain myself from looking surprised, I grinned and stepped to the side. "Yeah, well, thanks for finding me… I think I'll go take a little stroll now."

I slid out the door, his sea green eyes watching me as I left.

**

* * *

**

As soon as I was a ways away from the mansion, I unfolded the paper in my pocket. Right as my eyes scimmed the words, I gasped—it was Reuben's writing. It read:

_Dear Sis',_

_Hey! Sorry I had to hit you; my pals come from a rough background and tend to be extremely secretive. But anyway, just a reminder: be ready in a few weeks, 'cause I'm expected back as soon as renovation is done over here. I need to ask a favor of you, though; you know that plan I emailed you about? You're an official part of it, so you need to know: there's something that we need that's only in Sunagakure._

_I don't know where it is, but it should be somewhere in the Kazekage's mansion. It's an old, ancient-looking book with only two or three pages written inside. It doesn't have a name, but I know it's a dark blue color. If you can have that ready with you when I come to pick you up, it'll make everything a whole lot easier. So do your best, eh? Sorry I'm making you wait; but in only a matter of weeks, we'll be together again._

_Love yah,_

_Reuben_

Holding the piece of paper in my hand, I blinked, and paused by small section of the village that was solely dedicated to shop. I plopped onto a bench propped against a building, and read it over again. Reuben wanted me to find something for him? "A book," I arched a brow. Could it be in Gaara's library? Maybe he was looking for a history book or something…

"He still didn't tell me what he's gonna do," I pouted, folding it and putting it in my pocket again. "But I've got no choice I guess… duh, I'm gonna help my brother…"

Peering out into the streets, I saw people buzzing everywhere. Some were shopping, others were talking, groups moved as one, knocking down poor passer-byer's in their way. It was pretty lively, to say the least; shop managers were shouting out bargains, sales, and fashions at low prices, making me whimper. If only I grabbed some money before I left, I'd shop 'til I drop…

But that wasn't the case here.

So I just hopped to my feet and decided to wander around, torturing myself as I gazed around at all the cute clothes and accessories that lined display tables and the likes; Sunagakure had some really nice stuff. I eventually came across a tent that was secluded in an alleyway, and I stopped by it and took a small peek inside. Nobody was around here; and I probably wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't broad daylight right now.

Inside I found nothing but a long table and a bunch of boxes scattered on the ground. "A storage…?"

"Hello, hello, welcome!"

I squeaked and jumped back as an old lady suddenly appeared behind the table, smiling warmly at me. She was short and stout, with sun-kissed skin and unusually pretty blue eyes. "We are not officially open yet, but I am so happy that someone noticed my tent! This was the last spot in the bazaar, so I might as well take it!"

I blinked. "Um… hi."

"Well, come in, come in, dear; how can I help a pretty youth like you?" she waved me in.

"Oh, no, I don't have any money…" I told her, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

She shook her head, "It does not matter! I will give you a freebie for being my first customer!"

'… _And I thought she wasn't in business yet,' _I thought to myself. "I couldn't…"

"It is no problem, dearie! Come!"

I sighed—she wasn't about to let me leave… "All right, then." I shyly walked in and sat in a chair in front of her. "What is it that you do…?"

The woman smiled proudly at me. "I make accessories and charms! My name is Amano Yufu; what is yours?"

I couldn't help but smile back at her cheerfulness. "I'm Nadine."

"Nadine? What a pretty name," Yufu said, reaching down to a box beside her. I subconsciously leaned to the side to try and catch what she was getting—and quickly straightened up as she did. "Well, let us get started then, shall we?"

"Okay…"

"First, I must needs question you," she informed me, making me gulp. "But do not worry, Nadie-chan; they are general questions."

I paused—she called me 'Nadie.' Smiling wider, I found myself starting to like this lady; she reminded me of Kira, personality-wise.

Yufu spread out an assortment of items on her table. There were pretty stones, cute little statues, beads of every color in the spectrum, letters, and other random shapes and characters. "Question number one: what is your favorite color?"

"Mmm… green."

She pulled out a few green beads. "Question number two: when is your birthday?"

"March 24th."

She wrote on a piece of paper and drew it to herself. "Question number three: what is your favorite animal?"

I paused to think. "Uh… I like panda's?"

"Perfect," she smiled, jotting on a piece of paper again. "Question number four: would you prefer sunshine or rain?"

"Sunshine," I answered quickly, my gaze dropping. _Rain… I hate rain._

I could feel Yufu eye me before continuing. "Last question, Nadie-chan: are you single?"

I arched a brow. "Yeah…"

She clapped her hands and rose to her feet, her smile still in place. "We are finished!" she declared, dropping her results into a separate box. "I will get started on it right away! But I will take a while—do you mind waiting, dear?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all… what're you gonna make me?"

Yufu turned to me with a secretive grin and winked. "You will see, dear, you will see!"

"Aww…"

"Now shoo! I must begin," she ushered me out of the tent, and gave me another one of her innocent smiles that I've come to adore. "I will see you in a few weeks!"

"Fine…" I sighed, faking a pout. "Thanks, Yufu… sama," I said to her, bowing awkwardly.

"Oh, it's fine! This will be a fun project!" Her eyes twinkled with hidden joy. She patted me on the back and quickly shut the tent curtains behind me.

I was left staring at the green tent, wondering what had just happened. "Heh… she's so cute," I grinned to myself, turning on my heel and trotting away. At least I now know there're some nice people here; after meeting Gaara, I was beginning to wonder if such species were extinct in this time.

"Where should I go next…?" I didn't really feel like going back to the house. Seeing Gaara every day is torture enough; just the thought of being held under his stare made me shudder. Reuben was expecting me to stay with him for a month… hopefully I'd live. Ugh. I'm not the best liar, either. _'What if he asks me about something personal?'_

_Just tell him the truth—you're a freak from a different dimension._

"I can't tell him tha—" I halted in mid-sentence, and blinked, looking around. Who said that? There were people everywhere, but none of them even seemed to notice I was there… forget that, nobody SHOULD be looking my way because I was thinking to myself. "I… guess it was my inner self or something…"

Heh heh… inner self, Inner Sakura. Anyways.

I had continued to stay glued to my spot, staring ahead and wondering where I was going, before someone called my name.

"Nadine!"

I spun around to see Kankuro jogging towards me. "Kankuro… what's up?" I asked as he caught up to me.

He looked at me through his purple face paint. "Just hanging around," he replied with a shrug. "But it's boring right now. You wanna go get something to eat?"

"With me?" That was an offer I didn't hear every day.

"Well, since you're probably gonna be staying with us for a while, we might as well bond, right?" Kankuro grinned, causing me to grin back.

"Did Temari pay you to do this?"

"Nope! This was all an act of my kind soul," the older teen replied proudly, before turning and pointing in a different direction. "It's not too far from here! C'mon, let's get going before it gets too dark."

We weaved through the crowds of people, I trying my best to keep up with the unusually speedy guy. He gave me a small tour of the village by showing me different shops, restaurants, and monuments—which were all pretty interesting. There were a whole bunch of clothing and accessory stores that I didn't suspect of being stores, the restaurants were good-looking and took up a lot of the area (as Kankuro told me—"Food is a personal gift from God"), and he showed me statues and memorials of past Kazekages and historical stuff we'd pass.

I stared at Kankuro as he talked about another restaurant (we could actually walk now—the crowd was dying in this nick fo the village), and I briefly saw an image of Reuben flash through my mind as he smiled and laughed.

I looked away, smiling.

'_Reuben…'_

* * *

**A/N:** That's all for now, folks! ;3 Nothing really to say, 'cept... REVIEW! Yeah! xD

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	8. Attempted Kidnap: Part I

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Woohoo! Quicker update. ;3 Thanks again for the reviews, everyone! I never tire of them—and I never will! So just keep sending 'em in! nn Hopefully I can have my brain racking enough to think up interesting twists… 'cause starting now, hopefully, things will start to get interesting. n.n So stay tuned! The whole plot of the story will soon unfold!

Welcome to chapter eight! ♥

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda—I don't own Naruto, only this story and the plot and OC's… ;3

* * *

**c h a p t e r . eight:  
Attempted Kidnap: Part I**

Two weeks went by really quickly.

I lay, bored and lazy, on the sofa, my whole body sprawled along its length. I stared up at the ceiling, an uninterested look on my face. With uneventful days like these, I expected the days to move by slowly and painfully; but instead, they went by like a blur. I didn't do anything at all, really… every day I would just hang out in the library or go out on a walk by myself or with Temari or Kankuro.

Yeah, it was pretty boring here in the Sandsibling household… but of course, there were still its perks.

Because I'm staying at their house without rent or pay, I have to cook for them on most days (which I don't mind, since I love cooking) and tidy up the house on occasion… but since I began to bond with Temari and Kankuro, they've gone a lot easier on me. In fact, I learned a lot about the three Suna kids during these couple weeks… I learned their daily schedules and whatnot. Temari likes to hang around at the house when she's got nothing to do, and Kankuro's the opposite—he's an outside person. Gaara… well, Gaara's just… Gaara. He comes and goes, and doesn't have an actual routine.

"Kazekage-sama," I sighed, rolling onto my side. Speaking of the red-head, I haven't talked to him much since my two-day blackout. Either I'm doing a really good job at avoiding him, or he's doing a fantastic job of ignoring me and staying cooped up in his office. The only things he's said to me would either be responses to my questions or orders: "Hn," (again) "I'm busy," "Go make dinner," (I reckon he likes my spaghetti, 'cause I caught him getting seconds when all of us left!) "Go do (insert chore/errand here) for me," and probably the most famous one, "You're annoying."

His insults and the likes don't really scare me that much any more—sometimes I'd even challenge him by insulting him back! But when the sand starts to rise, that's when I get on my knees and beg for mercy. Thank goodness I haven't had to do that… yet.

The only thing about him that still scares me is his glares. I just could _not_ get over the nasty looks he'd shoot at me sometimes…

But anyway. Yeah. A summary of my life so far. It feels like I've been here for forever, and that I was born here, too… but of course that's crazy. I'm from California… not Iwagakure. I guess I made Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara my family here; the first two are my older brother and sister, and Gaara's like… a dictating father, heh. It helped me not to miss home too much. I couldn't wait to go back home and see Mom and Kira… and live with Reuben again.

"Oooiii, I'm so bored…" I whined, sitting up. Right now Gaara was in his office, and Temari and Kankuro were… somewhere. It was a bit early in the morning, so I guess they're still asleep. I turned my head to stare out the window—the sun had just barely risen over the mountain. I sighed.

"KANKURO! GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM, NOW! WE'RE LEAVING!" I squeaked as Temari suddenly came yelling down the stairs, her fists on her hips and an exasperated look on her face.

"YOU HOGGED IT FOR TWO HOURS!" yelled Kankuro from upstairs.

"MAKE-UP SHOULDN'T TAKE LONGER TO DO THAN TEN MINUTES!"

"_YOU_ TRY GETTING THIS STUFF PERFECT ON YOUR FACE!"

"I'M NO CAVEMAN!"

"SHUT UP!!"

I cringed, my hands over my ears, as the two oldest people in the house yelled back and forth at each other. "G-Guys…?" I whimpered, and Temari turned to me with her brows furrowed. "What's the rush…?"

Fuming, the blonde whipped her head back to the stairs. "We've got a mission that we're supposed to have started half an hour ago; Kankuro takes too darn long in the bathroom, I swear!"

"You've got a mission?" I asked, blinking.

"Yeah, we've got a two-week mission at Konoha."

"… Two-weeks?!"

"I'm ready now, yah happy?!" Our heads turned to Kankuro, who was trying to strap his puppets onto his back and run down the stairs at the same time.

"Very," Temari spat, and turned to me. "Sorry to leave so suddenly without warning you first..."

"I have to stay here for two weeks… alone, with Kazekage-sama?!" I cried, my world dangerously close to falling apart.

Kankuro, still a little ticked at his sister, crossed his arms and huffed. "He won't bother you if you don't bother him. You lived through the last two weeks—you can do it again."

I sighed. "Aww, carp…" Yeah, I said 'carp.'

"Well, be seeing you, kiddo," Temari said as she walked past me, patting my head as she went. Kankuro followed and patted me on the back.

The door closed, and I immediately heard them yelling all over again. I sighed again, and threw my head back, expecting to hit the cushion—but instead colliding with the freaking WALL.

"Oooowwww!"

These two weeks were going to be chaotic…

**

* * *

**

I gaped at the schedule held in my hands, and lifted my head up, a disturbed expression on my face. "Y-Y-You want me to… to do all _this_?" I waved the twenty-inch long paper, my eyes wide and my mouth wide and agape.

Gaara proceeded with his paperwork. "It's the chores Temari and Kankuro do here every day. Since they'll be gone for a while, I expect you to take care of everything that's listed."

I whimpered as I looked over the desk at him, and turned back to the schedule. There were so many things listed that it made my head hurt—laundry, breakfast/lunch/dinner, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, organizing, errands… it agonized me to read any more.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Gaara asked, and I peered at him over the list.

If he didn't have a glare set on me, I would've broken into a tantrum. "N-No…"

"Good," he said, standing up and dusting off his blue and white robe. "You can start by finishing my paperwork."

He stopped at my side as I asked him, "Don't you have maids here…?"

"Of course I do," he replied, not turning to face me, "but it wouldn't be fair of me to give them any more chores. Since you'll most likely be lazing around like you did the last couple weeks, I decided to make you do all the chores. You ARE staying here for free, after all."

I whimpered as he left. What chores did his 'other maids' have that I didn't? I bet he just wants to see me work my rear off! "Stupid, good-for-nothing, dictating, infuriating, tomato-headed—"

"One more thing." The door creaked back open, and Gaara was on the other side. "I want the paperwork done by noon. After that's completed, reorganize the books in the library in alphabetical order. I'll be out."

That gave me a whole thirty minutes to master his signature, keep it consistent, AND finish three monstrous stacks of paperwork.

As soon as the door shut and a few seconds passed, I fell onto my back, my arms and legs flailing. "THAT JERK-FACED KAZEKAGE!!"

**

* * *

**

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

Gaara strolled through Sunagakure, his gaze straight ahead and his fists tense. He'd been tense for the past few days, now, and he couldn't figure out why; he didn't sense any intruders coming into the village, he wasn't sick, and the tensions didn't necessarily revolve around that Nadine-girl. It would happen on and off—and right now, it was on.

Ignoring random girls as they shyly or cheerfully called to him, greeting him or complimenting him (he had gotten used to it), he paused by the eastern gate, his eyes narrowing at the empty passage. _'Something isn't right…'_ he thought to himself, the gourd on his back vibrating faintly. Even his sand danced with anxiety within.

Gaara gazed up; it was a bit dim today, he noticed. The sun wasn't shining its brightest, gray clouds hung in the sky; the breezes were chiller, and the atmosphere was suffocating. Something was going to happen… he knew it.

"Ahh… Kazekage-sama, we meet again."

A voice spoke behind him, and his eyes narrowed as he turned to face the speaker. It was Koutai—the woman who had come to him just a few weeks before: the one who had told him about Nadine's coming. "It's you again."

"You remember me? What an honor," Koutai smiled, her silver hair dim under the sad sun. "I assume our dear Nadine has come to visit?"

Gaara turned to fully face her. She was an older woman, probably in her mid-twenties, and carried a grin so fake he could have laughed, if he weren't Subaku no Gaara. "Yes… but she's not from Iwagakure."

"What makes you think that?" she asked, blinking at him innocently.

Gaara halted, choosing his words carefully. He didn't necessarily know for a fact that Nadine wasn't from Iwa… and he knew that this Koutai probably wasn't a native, either. "She told me."

This seemed to make Koutai falter, and she stared at him with hidden doubt. "Did she, now?" she looked to a different area briefly—the mansion. "Well, either way, we'll be taking her back now. I'm pretty sure you don't want such a bother here, do you?"

"'We'?" Gaara repeated, and his fists tensed even more. His eyes widening, he looked off towards his house, a small look of disbelief crossing his features. "You—"

"I'm also sure you wouldn't mind if we took a souvenir to remember such a great Kazekage by, either," Koutai continued, a vile smirk on her face.

"Who are you?" Gaara murmured dangerously, his sand leaking from his gourd.

Koutai smirked wider, pulling a long dagger from beneath her heavy black cloak. "We're known as… the Retsukaji."

**

* * *

**

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

I don't know how, but I finished the paperwork. And I mastered writing Gaara's signature. I'm such a nerd.

And after two and a half hours, I'm now in the library, working on alphabetizing Gaara's freaking library. I angrily shoved a book in the lowest shelf. I decided to start with the A-section, of course, and begin on the left-most bookcase. Blowing a loose strand of my brown hair from my face, I soon found myself sitting lazily on the tile floor, defeated. Gaara sure knew how to work someone to death. "He's like… an Adolf Hitler reincarnate," I scowled, my list of slavery work left and forgotten on the single desk in the room.

"Who is?"

I leaped in surprise and whipped my head around to the speaker—and there, like last time, stood… guess who?

"… Reuben!" I exclaimed, all my worries and fears practically melting away as I rose to my feet and leaped to my brother. He laughed and accepted me with open arms, and I clung to him as if he were going to disappear any moment. Patting me gently on the head, my smile widened, and I looked up at his grinning face with my own. "I was waiting for you!"

"Yeah, I know," Reuben said, lifting me up and spinning me around. "Sorry for making you wait! I tried to get things done as soon as I can."

"And good timing, too!" I laughed as I was placed back on my feet. "The Kazekage was gonna turn me into a slave!"

Reuben laughed, brushing his dark brown hair with his fingers. "That's not good; I guess I have some impeccable timing, then?"

"Absolutely!" I bounced, "So when do we leave? I'm so ready!"

"Right now, if you want," he smiled, relief filling my anxious heart. "Hey, did you find that book I wanted you to get?"

I blinked. Oh yeah, the book… "No, sorry… I looked everywhere, too." During the past couple weeks, I had spent a lot of time in the library… dedicated to both reading and finding the book Reuben told me about. I came across nothing—and that one book that I wanted to read in the first place, _Wingard_, was missing, too.

"That's fine, kiddo… let's try to find it, then."

I tilted my head to the side. "Reuben, just what is it that this book is?"

As he walked past me and to the shelf, he grinned and turned back to me. "I'll tell you everything, remember? Let's just find the book first."

Although I was a bit skeptical, I found myself grinning with all my trust in him. "… All right."

**

* * *

**

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

A kunai fell harmlessly to the ground as it collided with Gaara's perfect sand shield, and the Kazekage narrowed his eyes dangerously at Koutai. "Retsukaji…?"

"You don't remember?" the woman smiled devilishly, poised for attack. "Oh, that's right—you were just a tiny little thing back then. Your father is dead now, correct?"

"What are you talking about?" Gaara snapped, sand curling around the woman's feet.

"You'll know soon enough… when you and your precious little village are reduced to shambles."

That triggered Gaara's attack. The sand traveled up Koutai's legs, torso, and arms—but as they squeezed, she just grinned at him, and she suddenly transformed into a log. The sand fell back, and Gaara scowled. "Substitution…"

"You're bound to lose, sweetie; so you might as well just give up easily," Koutai appeared behind him, and he growled as he turned back.

"Nadine… who is she?"

His sea green eyes watched her as she stepped closer to him, until they were only a couple feet away. "A vital part to our plan."

The sand shot forward, and Koutai leaped into the air, thrusting shuriken at the Kazekage. They clattered harmlessly against his shield. _'It's a good thing there are no houses here,'_ Gaara thought to himself as pillars of sand rose from the ground, following the woman as she soared through the air. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the gate guards coming to see what the commotion was about, and he turned to them with narrowed eyes. "Back to your posts; I'll handle this. Watch for reinforcements."

Although they had no clue what was going on, the guards obeyed, and retreated. Gaara looked back to the smirking kunoichi, his hands gripping his upper arms as they were held in a crossed position. _'There must be another at the mansion with Nadine—I have to get back now!'_

Many unanswered questions whirled like a maelstrom in his mind: who are the Retsukaji? What is their purpose? What does Nadine have to do with anything? What connection did Gaara's father have with them? As kunai and shuriken struck his shield once more, Gaara glared at the mansion, hoping Nadine would still be there by the time he got back—he had to rip through Koutai's stalling and get back to protect her.

"_You'll know soon enough… when you and your precious village are reduced to shambles."_

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**A/N:** Oooh, another cliffy! Teehee! X3 Hope you guys liked it! Tell me if you think I'm rushing things—which I really hope (and think) am not! ♥ Read and review, please! I love you all! ;3

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	9. Attempted Kidnap: Part II

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hiii everyone! I'm back from my vacation--! -cheer- It was lots of fun, by the way. ;3 Sorry to keep you all waiting—I hope this chapter makes up for it! Thanks for all the reviews again, guys; I love 'em!

Disclaimer: I dun' own Naruto. ;o

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**c h a p t e r . nine:  
Attempted Kidnap: Part II  
**

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

This stalling was beginning to irritate Gaara. All Koutai was doing was chucking kunai and shuriken at him, making his sand rise and causing dirt to fly; obviously, she was trying to by time for her accomplices, who were apparently taking their sweet time in invading his village…

"I've had enough of this," he announced, his sand falling after another one of the woman's accurate deals of weapons.

Koutai smirked, hopping onto the edge of a short building. "What's wrong, Kazekage-sama? I was just getting started."

"You're annoying," The Kazekage spat blatantly, holding two fingers close to his face.

"Hey, what're you doing?" she asked with a hint of fake hurt, pouting childishly. "You don't wanna play anymore?"

Instead of answering, Gaara simply huffed, his body beginning to deteriorate into sand as he initiated his transportation. Koutai lifted a brow as she realized this, and charged at him again—only to run through a faded image of the young Kazekage, composed of sand particles.

Brushing back her now messy silver hair, Koutai sighed and glanced over to the mansion, where her partner was busy doing his business. "You'd better hurry up—you've got the little pipsqueak coming after you," she raked her long fingers through her long locks, "and if I were him, I sure wouldn't like having a shady character messing with _my_ secretary while I'm out…"

She turned and began to calmly walk in the direction of the eastern gate, currently unfazed by the events unfolding before her. She knew she could do more—like follow after Gaara and attempt to aggravate him further by getting in his way again, but she knew better than to risk her skin that way…

Her job was already done, anyway.

* * *

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

We'd been searching for a while now, and we showed our results with empty hands. "Reuben, I don't think it's here… are you sure it's in the mansion?" I asked, pushing the one millionth book back into its place on the shelf. I looked over to my brother, who was diligently continuing the search. "I think I've been here long and frequently enough to not notice a mysterious navy book…"

"It has to be here somewhere," he impatiently replied, rummaging through a random book on a high shelf. "Maybe there's a secret room or something…"

"Reuben, why do you need it?" I asked, standing beside him. He ignored me with hesitation as he continued rummaging. "Is it that important?"

"Yeah," he answered, "it's very important…"

I sighed, giving up on trying to pry the answer I wanted out of him. What in the world was he and his friends planning? And why was it so secretive that he wouldn't even tell his beloved little sister? As I stared at him with slightly hurt eyes, I began to wonder if he's changed at all since the last time we met… back where we belonged, at home. I was almost skeptical to believing he was the actual Reuben I knew… the kind, caring, all-about-others guy he is. … Or was.

_What am I talking about? Reuben's still Reuben,_ I thought to myself as he looked down at me with his natural grin. _I shouldn't have even thought of that… _I traced my fingers along the spines of books as I found myself walking along a new bookcase, and I paused at a familiar book that I was about to read the first time I came here.

It was a maroon-shaded book, with ornate letters etched in gold on its spine. "_Wingard_," I whispered, pulling it off the shelf. As soon as it was in my hands, the case began to vibrate; and I gasped, retracting my steps and dropping the book in shock. "R-Reuben…?" I squeaked.

Instantly he rushed to my side, his eyes locked on the moving bookcase. The books remained in place as it began to slide forward like a door—and in a few seconds, it was wide open, revealing a staircase that led to a lower section of the mansion. "Wh-What is—"

"That must be it," Reuben interrupted me with relief in his voice, he stepping forward and towards the stairs. "Good job, sis'—this must be where the kage hid it."

"Reuben, I don't think we should—"

"A quick peek; and if it's not there, we'll leave. Okay?" I stared at Reuben as he cast me a confident grin, and I sighed and followed him down the stairs. It was a short set, consisting of about ten steps, and we found ourselves a dim room with only the light from the library illuminating it.

"Not very decorative down here," I commented, wandering around the cement floor curiously. Everything was a boring grey cement color, with nothing decorating the floors or the walls, unlike the mansion itself. The only thing in it was a short podium in the center of the room, holding what look like a thin blue book that was heavily ornate with silver abstract lines. I wandered over to it, and apparently Reuben had immediately been drawn to it the moment he stepped foot here. He had an observant, hopeful expression on his face as he looked it over without touching it. My eyes wandered to a post that stood behind it that held a sphere with whirling blue and green mist inside. I blinked, my hand reaching out to touch it; it reacted by swirling faster and faster, beginning to glow—until Reuben interrupted me.

"This is it, Nadie," he whispered, a large grin on his face as he stared at it. I looked over to his victorious face and smiled.

"Really? What is it?" I pressed, hoping for a straight answer this time.

"I'll tell you once we get back; now let's hurry and take it," he paused to slip the book beneath the cloak he was wearing, "before—"

"So that's what your group is after."

Our eyes shot to the top of the staircase, where the figure of the Kazekage stood, his arms crossed and his expression not so happy… which wasn't really a strange sight. "Are you part of the Inditement, as well?"

Reuben smiled in a friendly way, and I just cowered and stepped back, as if I had done something wrong… which I kinda did, now that I thought about it. "So you know about it?"

Gaara remained indifferent as his eyes curved to meet mine. "Have you come to take her, too?"

"Not exactly_ take_ her," Reuben shrugged, looping an arm around me, "more like escort. She chose to come with me."

"That woman said she was vital to your plans," Gaara said, causing me to lift a brow. 'Vital part'? I craned my neck to stare up at Reuben, who was unusually calm and collected.

"'That woman'?" he repeated. "Oh, you must mean Koutai… yeah, she's gonna be a big helper, if that's what you meant…"

"Reuben…?" I questioned, and he replied by gently pulling me closer to him.

"I'm not going to let you leave with the book nor Nadine," Gaara said, sand beginning to leak from his gourd. "Either leave quietly or fight."

Suddenly the arm around me slipped away, and Reuben stepped forward with the book in his arm. "Sorry, can't do either. Guess I'll have to force my way through?"

I blinked in disbelief; Reuben was going to fight? "U-Um, Reuben, I think we should just—"

"Just stay behind me, Nadie—we'll be out of here in a jiff."

"But—"

"I'll be fine," he cut in, casting a look over his shoulder. I sighed, and stepped back towards the podium. I knew I couldn't stop him now.

The fighting scene that was about to start hung in the air for a while as Gaara eyed me and Reuben, his sand hovering around him like a cloud. He was observing the situation, probably finding the best way to fight… and he's strong, too. I hope Reuben's rational mind had at least matured a little bit…

Suddenly, as if the starting bell rang, Gaara's sand shot forward and straight at Reuben. I gasped, and he leaped gracefully out of the way—but the sand didn't follow him. I blinked—it was coming after me! I backed up too fast and fell onto my rear, my arms rising to shield me; and I felt the sand wrap tightly around me and pull me back to its manipulator. I was now held captive behind the red-head, staring at Reuben, who now had his eyes narrowed.

"I didn't know good guys could play dirty," Reuben smirked—a smirk that I had never seen him use before.

"Return the book or I'll crush her," Gaara threatened, and I gasped as the sand tightened uncomfortably around me. My eyes squeezed shut—he was using me as bait!

"That's an unfair threat," Reuben pouted, and I was shocked at his reaction. I looked at him with slightly pained eyes as he stepped forward, the book clutched in one arm. "What to do, what to do…?"

"R-Reuben…?" I whispered inaudibly. Did he actually have to think about this?

He shot me a look that told me he was in deep thought. Seconds passed, but they felt like hours—and finally, he smirked, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Eh, I'll work my way around it," he concluded. I blinked—what did he mean…?

He reached into the pocket of his trousers, searching for something—and the sand around me tightened slightly, causing me to swallow back a gag. Finally he pulled out… something, and looked at Gaara with an indescribable glint in his dark eyes. "I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble if we lost her…"

"Reuben!" I choked, and I could feel the sand tighten even more. Gaara remained still. "You're… going to… l-leave… me…?"

He didn't reply, but simply slammed the thing in his hand onto the ground—and the area around him erupted into a dark smoke. It was a smoke bomb…

I felt dazed now, the sand curling around me tighter… and when the smoke cleared, Reuben was gone.

He left me.

A few moments passed… but I didn't notice. My head drooped, and Gaara turned to face me. I refused to meet his eyes. The sand lowered, dropping me on my feet, and I stared at my sandals.

"I believe it's about time you tell me what I want to know."

I nodded numbly.

**

* * *

**

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

Gaara had led Nadine into his office. Nadine had been quiet the whole way; it still was a great shock to her that Reuben had left her. The red-head didn't seem to mind; but he had occasionally glanced over his shoulder at her depressed form. He could feel sympathy and pity mixed inside him.

Instead of sitting behind his desk, Gaara had paused before it, and turned to face Nadine's downcast features. Her limbs looked limp and as she slowly brought her gaze to him, her face had paled; and he felt as if he should talk face-to-face to her, on the same level.

"Tell me your story," was his first command as Nadine stared up at him with unfocused eyes, and she brought her gaze down again.

She bit her lip, wondering how to start with her far-fetched tale. "My name really is Nadine Wingard… and Reuben Wingard is my brother. We're from somewhere that's completely separate from this world… a place called California, in the United States. I don't know how my world and yours is connected, but I was somehow able to come here through a jutsu that Reuben had emailed me a few weeks ago. I don't know how Reuben got here—probably from the same jutsu—but I was determined to find out why he came and bring him back home. He had been missing from home since six months ago… and of course, when he emailed me, I was more than willing to come.

"He said he had something 'big' planned out with his friends, but he never told me what it was… he told me his group was really secretive, and didn't trust outsiders so easily. But I wanted to be with him so bad, so I did everything he asked to be accepted… he wanted that book, so I helped him look for it. We eventually found it, and I was so happy that I was going to be leaving with him…

"But then… but then all that happened, and… he left me. He chose the book over me. He only wanted to use me for the… whatever you called it. 'Inditement'? And now I'm abandoned, with no real purpose to stay here, or anywhere… he chose some plan over my life… I'm so confused… and… I don't know what to do. But, above all that…" she paused as she began to choke on tears, her fists clenched beside her and her face hidden, "I feel… betrayed."

Gaara's harsh eyes had softened as Nadine had broken down into a fit of sobs. He was now enlightened in certain, once questionable, areas in his mind, but right now, the crying girl was bothering him. He never did like seeing females cry. He very well understood how she felt—the feeling of betrayal, being manipulated, and used for a material purpose. And the thought of the betrayer being your own brother, when you were so close to them; just thinking about Kankuro betraying him made his heart ache.

"And now I have no reason to stay here—Reuben's changed, and doesn't even care about me. I was thrown away and abandoned like a failed subject in an experiment, and he'll probably find a better replacement for me, for whatever I was supposed to do… What can I do? What _should_ I do? I don't know _anything_ anymore!" Nadine cried between sobs, her body trembling. "My mind is so screwed up right now…"

The red-head stared at her unstable form, sympathy in his expression. He knew what he could do for her—he didn't know if it would help soothe her pain, but he wanted to do something. He wanted to be needed… not only as a Kazekage, but as a person. He took a small step towards her and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her towards him. He had seen Kankuro do this to Temari a few years ago, when her pet bird had died. It was contact that was alien to him, but in a way, effective.

Nadine had reacted by burying her face into his shoulder, weeping. He simply held her there, his hold on her firm and secure and his head leaning comfortingly against the side of her head.

"I'm… scared…" she whispered. Scared of what she didn't know… what was unveiling before her.

She had only wanted to help her brother—to be reunited with him again. She had the right intentions, a set goal—and it was broken by the same person she was determined to help. She was now lost, confused, frustrated, sad, afraid… but most of all, broken. Gaara closed his eyes as she had began to calm down, and whispered back the only thing that came to him:

"I will protect you."

Nadine nodded faintly in thanks. Suddenly, Gaara didn't seem like the jerk-faced Kazekage that he had been just a few hours ago.

* * *

**A/N:** Yaaay! Another chapter done! ;3 Hope you like, everyone! Hopefully things aren't moving to fast… or too slow. xD And I hope I didn't make Gaara too OOC…

Lots of questions will be answered very soon—and the plot will get rolling! Huzzah!

Please keep reviewing everyone! I love them to death! X3 See you next time!

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out


	10. Bonding

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

I feel bad—I made one of my readers cry from the last chapter (my little sis'). ; ; I dunno whether that's good or not. o-o Buut, she really likes it, so I guess it's going well. X3 Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I never get tired of 'em! 3 You made me so happy this time… I got thirteen reviews! That's, like, a brink in Bayo history! ♥ I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Oh, and someone mentioned that I didn't mention what that 'thing' took from Nadine… but I'll fill you guys in eventually, meep. Soon, too. x3

But now… on to the story! Finally we're into double-numbered chapters! ♥

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto! Only this story and its plot. ♥ … And the OC's of course. X3

* * *

**c h a p t e r . ten:  
Bonding**

Vibrantly shaking my hand free from its cramps, I took a moment to take a little breather, and started on the next paper. I dropped it onto the third stack of signed paperwork that lay on the floor next to the desk. "No wonder his hands are so bony and his fingers so thin—he signs these everyday for the whole morning!" I grimaced in discontent, popping my wrist free from stiffness.

I had been cooped up in Gaara's office for at least four hours this morning—since about eight o'clock, when I first woke up. After working non-stop on this stuff for those hours, I was more than ready for a five-hour break. Not like Gaara would actually let me slack off, but it was nice to think about it. Ever since the big dramatic event with Reuben and the 'Retsukaji's', which I figured was his group's accumulative title that I heard from Gaara, I had been doing nothing but caring for the house, signing paperwork, organizing stuff, and occasionally strolling around town.

That was about two days ago; but they've been the longest couple of days in my life.

I threw a small glare to the other four stacks of unsigned papers that sat on the other side of the desk, pondering whether or not I should get started on them. Although I hated signing things, it helped me get my mind off Reuben. I figured Gaara knew that it would help, too—which was why he probably assigned the chore to me. Either that, or he was being a lazy-butt…

I was now officially Gaara's secretary and housekeeper; not only am I stuck with doing Temari and Kankuro's chores, but I was in charge of keeping the mansion in tip-top shape, having Gaara's paperwork done, organizing files, running errands, going grocery shopping, and doing whatever else that needs to be done. Gaara would never let me leave the mansion unless he or his siblings were with me, though; he said that Reuben probably knew he wasn't going to kill me, and would come back to attempt to take me away again.

I began the paperwork again, and smiled as his words played through my mind again:

"_I will protect you."_

Now that I think about it, Gaara and I had reached a new level of our 'relationship'. He didn't treat me like dirt anymore, and actually spoke to me as an equal. Of course, he still had a certain meanness and cocky authority about his tone whenever he talked to me, but…

I guess it would be strange if he had become completely nice, right? Then I would've completely broken down in shock.

But now that I think about it, Gaara did have a dark and lonely past, as well. He, too, went through heartbreak, depravity, betrayal, confusion, loneliness, fear… he probably went through all negative emotions in their intense forms, so I guess that made my minor depression and fear crumble when compared to how tough he's had it. Knowing that made me want to get to know him better—to not only respect him as a person and a Kazekage, but to be able to talk with him like he was a close friend. I owed a lot to him, even now; he had helped a lot with me coping with… that. Of course, I was still down at times, but I was getting there.

My grin widened and I glanced out the window behind me, and down into the busy streets of Sunagakure. It would be a challenge, but I was going to do it.

I'm gonna bond with Subaku no Gaara.

**

* * *

**

"… Why are you following me, again?"

I giggled with my arms crossed over my chest, "Because we're bonding, remember?"

"Bonding…?" Gaara looked at me with questioning eyes. "What's the purpose of that?"

_You poor deprived soul_, I thought to myself. "It's what you do when you want to get to know someone better!" I replied.

"By following them around?"

I faltered, but quickly regained myself and huffed. "I'm not following you around! I'm simply assisting you in your journey around town."

"I'm just visiting someone."

I swung at a rock that lay on the dirt, and watched it fly across the road. We were currently strolling around the streets of Suna, and everything was buzzing with activity. People were everywhere and crowds formed left and right—but thankfully, there was still enough room preserved for Gaara and I to travel safely. Luckily I had caught him before he left. Right after my decision to bond with him, I took a mad dash down the gazillion flights of stairs to catch him halfway through the front door—and that was when I went in for the kill.

He wasn't very enthusiastic about me sticking to him like a dog to its master, but he eventually let me tag along. After tons of pathetic begging from yours truly.

"Who're you visiting?" I asked, trying to strike a conversation with the silent male.

"A friend," was his simple reply, and I looked to him in surprise.

"Oooh, a friend," I blinked, and smiled. "Anyone special?"

Gaara waited a moment before replying. "I really don't see how it's any of your business."

"But we're bonding! I gotta get to know you better, remember?" I pressed.

"Why would you want to do that?" the Kazekage asked curiously, although a slight tone of annoyance was evident.

I grinned and looked down, "Because I want to be your friend!"

He paused to look down at me, and I met his gaze with my smile. He sighed and turned back to the road. "She's my student."

"Oh, it's a girl!" He sighed at my excitement, and I continued, "Her name?"

"We're here," Gaara ignored me as we came upon an apartment complex, and he led me to the first door on the right.

We stepped onto a welcome mat, and I anxiously stared at Gaara and then the door as he knocked. It opened a few seconds later, and I was met with a pair of pretty onyx eyes that belonged to a girl that looked around my age.

"Gaara-sensei?" she blinked, her short brown hair bouncing as a smile curled onto her lips.

"Hello, Matsuri."

**

* * *

**

**( Normal P.O.V. – Retsukaji Hideout )**

"So you left the girl there? That defeats the whole purpose of the plan!" Koutai growled, leaning against the cold stone wall with a glare set on her partner. She had bandages wrapping around various limbs from attacks she'd taken from Gaara, and a not-so-happy air around her. "You know the book's useless without her."

Reuben was sitting on a large rock that sat on the other side of the dark cave, his thoughts and eyes caught in the ornate book. "Don't worry, we'll get her. I know the Kazekage's grown too soft-hearted to kill anyone innocent, so all I have to do is go back and get her to come with me."

Shifting into a more comfortable position, the silver-haired woman blew a strand from her face. "You really think she's going to trust you after you just left her?"

"We'll see," Reuben replied. "You just have to say the right stuff and pull the right strings, and you'll have her." He paused to read a line from the book again. "This is a pretty interesting book, by the way."

"There's nothing in it," Koutai said. "That's why we need the kid, doofus—unless you're willing to…"

"Nah, I stink at writing," he shrugged. "Don't worry, we'll get her."

"You know, Karite's going to be ticked that you didn't come back with the kid—he was looking forward to meeting her. And Shui's gonna give you another one of his three-hour lectures on being faster and more careful."

"Mmm, oh well."

Koutai sighed in exasperation. "Sometimes you can be too carefree for my liking, Benni…"

**

* * *

**

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

Matsuri poured hot tea into my cup, and smiled sweetly at me. "Hi, I'm Sakamoto Matsuri! It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Nadine Wingard," I replied, blowing on the tea, "and it's nice to meet you, too!"

The brunette giggled and plopped down on the couch opposite to Gaara and I, a teasing grin on her face as she gazed at the red-head. "It's about time Gaara-sensei got himself a personal secretary! He can be so messy and unorganized sometimes…"

I laughed at that and was tempted to nod, if it weren't for the glare I was sure Gaara was giving me from the side. "I know what you mean…" I whispered faintly.

"What were the results of your last mission?" Gaara cut in, obviously not wanting to talk about his laziness as a Kazekage.

"Mission accomplished, Gaara-sensei! Sumaru-sama was safely escorted back to Hoshigakure!" Matsrui responded cheerfully, offering a childish salute. "There were some rough handlings with bandits and all, but he received no scratches!"

Gaara nodded after a sip of his tea. "Good job."

I blinked—Sumaru? Wasn't he that one guy with long green braid? I mistook him for a girl that first time I saw him—and eventually, he turned out to be quite cute, despite his whiny moments. Hiding a smile, I drank from my cup again, the warm liquid running down my throat.

"But is that all you came over for? It's rare that Gaara-sensei would walk all the way down here just because," Matsuri commented, voice hinted with curiosity.

"Yes," the Kazekage replied, gripping his cup. "Last year you told me you wanted to manage the Aitori Festival. Would you still want to do that?"

The brunette nearly choked on her own drink, and looked at him with a beaming smile. "Really?! I thought Temari-san was going to do it?"

"She's done it plenty of times," Gaara said. "I figured a younger girl like you could add new light and creativity to the decorations, rather than keeping plain, solid colors that some older women embellish with…"

I held back a laugh—Gaara just called Temari old!

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. )**

"ACHOO!"

Kankuro leaped in surprise, and stared at his sister. "Whoa there, Temari! That was a monster elephant sneeze! You okay?"

Temari scrunched up her face and shook her head. "That was weird… I could've sworn I heard Gaara talking just now…"

They looked at each other and shrugged, continuing their venture down the streets of Konoha.

* * *

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

Matsuri grinned a pretty little smile. "Then it that case, I'd love to!"

Gaara put down his empty cup on the table sitting before him. "All right then, I'll put you down as the manager." Standing to his feet, he glanced down at me, and then to Matsuri. "It's time we be going, then. Nadine still has paperwork to complete."

I faltered again. This would be the perfect time for a sweat drop to run down my head… "Oh, uh, yeah, right…"

Matsuri giggled, and I witnessed Gaara's eyes soften at her laugh. "You're so mean, Gaara-sensei! But it's getting late anyway, so I'll let you go."

She led us over to the front door and held it open as I left first, and Gaara following. Right when he stood just outside the doorframe, Matsuri shyly called, "Um, Gaara-sensei?"

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

She threw her arms around his torso in a quick, cute hug—and I felt a faint tingle in my body. "Thanks for visiting," she said.

Gaara had almost cracked a smile as he patted her back, and she pulled away with a blush. "I'll see you soon, then, Gaara-sensei!" And with that, she softly closed the door.

As soon as we were in our solitary company in the streets, I suddenly looked to Gaara, who kept that same stern expression on his face. "Heh, I think you've got an admirer, Kazekage-kun!" I giggled, nudging him playfully on his side.

"Hn," was his lone reply, and I grinned.

"Do you like her?" I asked curiously. I love asking people this kind of stuff—it was nosy, but I got a kick out of prying the truth from them.

He paused to fall into his thinking mode. "She's the first normal person to ever accept me as someone other than a monster," he replied. "Of course I like her."

My smile softened. "No, I mean, as in… more than a friend?"

"I don't know what you mean," he simply responded, and I sighed in defeat.

"Okay then… what's the Aitori Festival?" I asked, almost forgetting to ask him. Judging by how Temari had managed it before, and he was asking Matsuri to do it, I figured it had somewhat of a feminine side to it.

"It's an event that occurs annually in Sunagakure," Gaara replied, keeping his gaze in front of him. "This season, the end of fall, is the only time of the year that the Aitori, birds native only of this village, come to breed near or in the village. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the coming of winter and the arrival of the Aitori; some think of it as a special couple's outing."

Never in my life had I heard Subaku no Gaara say so much at once.

"Really? That sounds neat," I enthusiastically responded, my thoughts drifting to the subject. "When is it, exactly?"

"The first week of next month."

I held a finger to my chin—that would be… December, right? Wow, I've been gone from home for almost two months already. My features dampened in spirit briefly, but I quickly regained myself as I felt the Kazekage's gaze fixed on me.

We got back to the mansion soon afterward, and he unenthusiastically thanked me for assisting him in his journey around town.

… Or, as he said, 'following him'.

"Hey, Kazekage-kun…" I stopped him as he began to start up the stairs, and he turned to me.

"Yes?"

I walked closer to him and took a deep bow before him. When I lifted up, I was almost hurt to see his extremely surprised expression—he rarely ever showed emotion. In his face, especially.

"What—"

"Thank you for the other day," I said, my smile softening in sadness as memories from two days ago flashed in my mind. "I never properly thanked you. Without you, I probably would've lost even more of my sanity… thanks."

Gaara remained silent for a while, his sea green eyes looking me over. Finally he nodded in acknowledgement. "I am… sorry for what happened," he said at first, and my eyes fell to the ground. "I have experienced the same pain many times." There was a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"Kazekage-kun…"

"Meet me in my office tomorrow morning," he said, and he turned to head up the stairs again. "And Nadine…" He looked over his shoulder and to me briefly, "Begin addressing me by my name."

And with that he took his leave, disappearing in his ascent up the stairs. I was left by myself downstairs, staring at the empty doorframe up the stairs.

"Gaara…"

There was a faint pull in the back of my mind, but I chose to ignore it.

_This could be interesting, heh…_

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Woot! Matsuri is in the picture! X3 And no, I don't think that's her last name… I just took the family name from her Seiyuu. xD It has a nice ring to it though, methinks. ;3

But anyway, please review and tell me what'cha think! If you have any questions about this chapter or any other chapter, I'll be happy to answer them.

And I've been debating with myself for a while… should I switch to the third person view from now on, or should I keep everything still in Nadine's perspective? What do you guys think would be better?

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out!


	11. It Feels Good to Smile

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait… I bet a lot of peeps have been waiting for this chapter, but I've been having a brain fart on what to write and how to write it. xD So I wrote a long(-er) chapter for yah'll's enjoyment. ;3 Thanks so much for all the reviews, everyone… and since I love you all so much, I'll start replying to every review! That'll happen at the end, though, 'cause… yeah. I'm lazy. xD

So read on, folks… sorry for the long wait, and please please please review! ♥

Oh yeah… notice the change of decoration in the title? C:

Sorry for any typo's this may have… I was lazy in proof-reading it. xP

Disclaimer: The same old disclaimer… I don't own Naruto; I just own this plot and my characters. ♥

* * *

**c h a p t e r . eleven  
****It Feels Good to Smile**

_I was dreaming again… but it didn't feel like any 'normal' dream someone would have. I was standing in darkness, with nothing but my appearance assuring me that I was in the picture. The darkest shade of black surrounded me; I was standing on some invisible ground, apparently, and everything around me was just… black. No scenery, no light; not even real darkness. If that made any sense. It was like I was put into a black room._

_But for some reason, I didn't feel afraid. I just stood there, waiting for something. Turning my head right and left, moments passed, and suddenly a presence came. My eyes adjusted to a figure in front of me—someone, or something, that I didn't recognize. It was taller than I was, and had long, shaggy hair. Judging by its size and structure, I thought it was a human. It stared at me with crimson eyes that stood out almost blindingly in the darkness._

_The eyes of the stranger from before…_

"_You again,," I said casually, and the figure shifted with soft laughter._

_It shifted, dark eyes glimmering suspiciously. 'Long time no talk, brat. Not like I minded, but…'_

_Growling, I crossed my arms above my chest in defiance. "And _you_ haven't changed at all. What do you want now? I was enjoying my life without your constant nagging," I huffed, and it laughed in amusement._

'_Haven't lost your feisty touch, I see. You must be giving Subaku-boy a hard time,' it shook its head. 'I let you rest up here and get to know this place for a while, but I figured you'd miss me so much and I decided to visit.'_

"_Huzzah," I rolled my eyes. "But… I do have some questions that I hope you'll answer."_

_It arched a brow in mild surprise. I was shocked he thought I _wouldn't_ have questions. 'Curiosity got to you, eh? Fine. Shoot.'_

"_You said that every time someone transfigures here they have to exchange something," I started. The large crimson eyes watched me patiently. "What is it that… Reuben gave up?"_

_He snorted in amusement. 'So you're nosier about someone else's condition rather than your own? Typical brown-nosed girl,' he spoke again before I could start ranting, 'But truth is, I don't remember… well, I _do_ remember, but I just can't tell you.'_

"_Why?"_

'_Policy of a gatekeeper,' it replied, his bodily motions suggesting a shrug._

_I pouted in disappointment. Guess I'll just have to ask Reuben that myself, despite the fact that I didn't feel like seeing him again anytime soon… "Then… what did_ I _lose?"_

'_Your insanity,' it mocked._

_I fumed, "Is all that you're gonna do is make fun of me?!"_

'_It's a pretty entertaining hobby with entertaining results, especially from one as simple-minded as yourself.' And then it went again, laughing at its horrible joke. My nails dug into my palms as they clenched, trying to keep my anger buried beneath my skin and behind my teeth. 'Anyway, that's something for you to find out.'_

_My brow arched. "How am I supposed to find out?"_

'_You'll just… know. Can't explain it. But you will.'_

"_You do realize you haven't aswered any of my questions yet, right?"_

'_All part of the fun,' he shrugged again. 'But I'll give you a hint: your condition can be viewed either as a loss or a gain. It depends on what kind of person you are.'_

"_You make it sound like you turned me into a monster," I grumbled._

'_Trust me, you can't get any more monstrous.'_

"_Shut up already!" I shouted, and it only laughed in humor. This guy—if he _was_ a guy—was really starting to tick me off. "One more question, though I doubt you can answer it."_

'_Try me.'_

"_Are there any more people from our world here?"_

'…' _It stared at me in surprise. Actually, I've been thinking about it for a while. If Reuben and I were able to get here, and we were just average Naruto fans… have other greater fans been able to get here… like the producers, directors, ect.? He kept his gaze as if he were debating whether or not he should tell me, and he sighed. 'Interesting question. In truth, it's rare for any normal people to get by here without dying. In fact, I think only three have gotten through successfully: you, your brother, and… someone else.'_

_I blinked. "Someone else?"_

'_I think… yeah, it was someone else. Some old fart,' he replied. 'But that was some time ago. Ten years back in your time.'_

"_Weird. Is he still here?"_

'_Not sure. Haven't seen him since then. I don't usually talk to my customers after sending them over… but you're a special case.'_

_I rolled my eyes. "I'm honored."_

'_You hurt me.'_

_I sighed, knowing I had nothing else to ask. "That's it. I'm done. You can go away now."_

_He stared at me with cackling red eyes. 'As you wish, brat-master.' Being surprisingly obedient, the figure began to turned around, his eyes almost hidden from my own._

_My brow lifted in surprise. "Wait! Tell me your name."_

'_Heh,' it chuckled, sending me a vile smirk from over his shoulder. 'You can call me Hazure.'_

_And he turned back around, continuing on his merry way to wherever he was going, in this dark, endless room._

"Mmm…rrgh…"

I pried my eyes open to meet the blinding golden rays that streamed into the room. Sitting up in my bed, I yawned, rubbing sleep particles from my eyes. "That was a weird dream… or was it a vision?" I asked myself, wobbly knocking the covers off and standing to my feet. The clock on the wall told me it wasn't that late, so I decided to take my time in cleaning myself up.

My thoughts drifted back to the 'dream.'

I haven't talked to him in ages, I realized. I didn't mind really, because all he ever did was pester me and call me names. But this time seemed different… it was as if he _wanted_ to talk to me. Maybe I was just being paranoid… yeah, I was being paranoid.

Brushing a comb through my tangle brown mess, I glanced over at the clock—err, the sundial—and the shadow estimated it to be around eleven o'clock. Man, I've been sleeping in lately… usually I'd be up around seven or eight.

"There was something I needed to do today…" I mused to myself, tugging on a pair of clean shorts. "… Oh yeah! Gaara told me to meet him." The Kazekage's stoic image passed through my mind momentarily, and I found myself laughing at how serious he always looked. I had always thought of him as the jerk-faced, emotionless, I'll-beat-the-crap-out-of-you kind of character when I saw him in the first season. I still thought he had been the same kind of person when I met him personally… but now I don't think he's that bad.

_That_ bad.

I passed a look at myself as I came across a mirror, and after a final face-check, I moved on towards the office… that seemed to be forever away.

"Morning exercise…"

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. – Back Home )**

"Almost a month…"

Worry drifted in a fixed air around the woman as she marked off another day on her calendar. It was nearing the end of November, and her daughter had been missing for almost four weeks. And throughout those four weeks, she was pretty sure she'd only gotten a total of five-day's complete rest… and that was through the help of pills.

"Nadie… come back home," she whispered disconsolately, staring at a picture of the said brown-haired girl that revealed a large grin in the confines of a frame on the table. "I don't want to lose you too."

The woman wiped a tear away and stood, wobbling in a daze over to Nadine's room, where she plopped onto her neatly-made bed. She'd come in here all the time to check and see if Nadine would just end up curled in bed like she always did, with nothing wrong and everything normal… but of course, life was too cruel for her to be returned so leisurely—wherever she was taken.

"Calm down, Angeline… she'll come back… so will Reuben… and Glenn," she brushed dark, pretty chocolate hair from her troubled eyes. "Am I next, now?" she whispered, eyes closing in solemn curiosity and sadness.

"_You've got mail!"_

The robotic voice penetrated her thoughts and Angeline shot straight up, her short hair swaying on her shoulders and emerald eyes wide in surprise. The computer screen sitting on Nadine's desk flashed, a pixilated envelope blinking constantly.

Computers and Angeline Wingard never really mixed. Nadine and Reuben were complete naturals, but she was a whole different story. She slowly hopped off her bed and crawled over to the screen, searching a few moments the keyboard before, with uncertainty, pecking the 'ENTER' button. The blinking paused, and then an email popped up from the pixel envelope.

Angeline's eyes skimmed the message, before a hand rose to quell the loud gasp itching to escape her throat.

_Hi Mom,_

_She's safe in Suna. Don't worry._

_Love, Reuben_

"Ben," she cried, her hands trembling in surprise and expanse relief. "So they're together… thank goodness."

She took a moment to finally begin feeling at peace, and then read the email over again.

"… Suna…?" she repeated, her lips slightly agape. Glancing to a set of papers next to the laptop, her eyes widened slightly to see the twelve handseals printed from the internet.

"… Reuben… you… Nadine…"

* * *

**( Normal P.O.V. – Kazekage's Office )**

Gaara had decided to do (part) of the paperwork on his own that morning. He had waken up unusually early that day, for a reason he didn't know; usually he blamed it on the sudden absence of his insomnia-inducing monster, Shukaku, but lately, he just hasn't felt… at peace. It was as if something was still out of place… something that he couldn't put his finger on.

It was bothering him.

Part of him wanted to say it was that girl's fault, but he knew that wasn't the only case. He finished signing one paper and tapped on the desk with the head of the pen. It was times like these that he wished Kankuro or Temari were here—they'd at least _try_ to help his confused soul out. But alas, good things like that never came to Gaara whenever he wanted them to.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a shy knock on the door, and Nadine poked herself inside. "Morning, Gaara!" she greeted cheerfully, and he only gazed at her blankly before returning his gaze to the desk.

She seated herself in front of him, and he could feel her eyes on him as he signed another paper. When he had first met her, he didn't take much of a liking to her; in fact, she seemed pretty dangerous to him, despite her weak and innocent demeanor. Kankuro had asked him to be nicer to her, though, and he did… but that didn't trigger his sympathy and consolation for her until that one night.

"You called for me, right?" Nadine asked, wondering if she had heard wrong yesterday.

Now he understood that Nadine meant no harm, but was deceived by her excuse of an older brother into performing the Inditement… which he still had many questions about. He knew a bit about it, but he knew he needed to know more—and Nadine couldn't answer them, because apparently, she had no idea what it was. So he'd have to ask her brother personally.

But that night, he had grown an unnatural sympathy for her. Back when he was younger, he had been deceived, used, and betrayed, all at once; seeing it happen to another person—an emotional girl like Nadine, especially—affected him. Uzumaki Naruto had taught him the value of friendship and love when he fought him during the Chuunin exams, and he hadn't been the same person since; and now he had the opportunity to soothe the heart of another person who wasn't necessarily in the same position as he had been, but is suffering the same way he had.

And he should know that it was a very painful experience.

Although the girl may hide it with a smile, he knew she had tears waiting just behind it. Spending 'bonding' time with her taught him that; and even after only two day's worth of watching her, he had grown accustomed to keeping an eye on her. _'Is this what it's like to have a younger sibling?'_ Kankuro had always told him that the feeling of protection was something older brothers would feel for their younger brother or sister—and right now, he was wondering if Nadine felt like the little sister he's never had to him. He didn't even know…

Gaara placed the pen on his desk, and finally acknowledged the girl. "Yes. I have questions for you."

**( Nadine's P.O.V. )**

"More questions?" I repeated, cocking my head to one side.

"If you answer them, I'll answer any question you may have."

I blinked. Gaara's finally willing to talk to me? That's a big surprise—especially coming from Mister 'I-Don't-Wanna-Talk-to-You'. "Sounds like a bargain. Okay."

"Where is your family from?"

"My family?" Staring at his attentive face, I 'hmm'ed and looked away. "Well, we're citizens of America, and we come from California… but if you're talking about heritage, then I'm afraid I don't know. I hear a lot of things from my mom and brother, but I never really got answers that came from the both of them."

"And your father?" Gaara asked, not hesitating to ask on.

"He left us many years ago, back when Reuben and I were kids." It was a pretty rough subject to talk about on my part… Dad and I were really close. I have no idea why he'd leave.

Gaara stared at me as if he were trying to pry even more truth from me. "Does the name 'Denrei' mean anything to you?"

"Huh?" I cocked my head at the unfamiliar term. Where'd that come from all of a sudden? "Denrei? Um…" But… now that I think about it… why did it sound familiar? I'm not Japanese; I've never heard of it… "No."

"…" Folding his fingers in front of his lips, Gaara held my eye for a moment. Seconds passed until he suddenly shut them in acknowledgement. "All right. That's all."

'_What was that all about?' _I wrinkled my brow in confusion. He sounded like he suspected something, and was asking me questions to confirm it… sounds very Gaara-like to me. I doubt he'd give me a straight answer if I asked him about it, though; not until he's one hundred percent sure he's right. After moments of awkward silence I sighed, deciding not to bring it up. "Okay then… who are the Retsukaji?"

The Kazekage shook his head. "I know nothing about them."

"Then… what's the Inditement?"

Silence came again, only Gaara sat staring at his unsigned papers, with me staring at him. Finally the red-head gazed at me with a serious glint in his eyes. "It's the Kekkai Genkai of a banished clan."

"Really?" His answer surprised me. "Why do they think I'm a part of it?"

"I don't know," Gaara replied, "That's what I'm curious about. The clan was supposedly wiped out years ago, since nobody has seen them since the war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. They have an unusual and dangerous advanced bloodline."

"That's weird," I commented. "And that is…?"

"They used to be a very intelligent and creative clan who would rather think through a battle than use brute force. I've heard their specialty is in literature and writing; and that's because of their bloodline, the Inditement—the Bunsho no Chigiri, or Author of Destiny," he paused to look at me. An almost amused tint sparked in his eyes as he caught my completely enthralled attention—I loved listening to stories. "The _Kiroku_ is the book used by the clan to use their bloodline, and also used for their survival."

The _Kiroku_… that was probably the book Reuben stole. "Their survival?"

"Each member of the clan must write their names in their blood on the pages to keep their lives. I don't know much of the details; my father used to be acquainted with a few of their members." He stopped again to regain his thoughts.

I gulped at all the information he was spilling on me. It was all very weird. The Inditement—or Bunsho no Chigiri—is the advanced bloodline of a clan here in the Naruto world… but how would that relate to me? "But what makes their bloodline dangerous?"

"I forget. I only know the benefits."

"But… what would that have to do with me? I'm not from this world."

The Kazekage shrugged very faintly. "Perhaps it's something your brother would know."

"… Right." The mention of Reuben made my head droop. I'll have to face him again one way or another… could I handle it?

"Is that all?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah. Well… all the questions I have for you, anyway." Flashing him a bright grin, I let my head fall back against the chair and closed my eyes, our little Question and Answer discussion coming to a close. I was glad for the tension relief. "Ah, that's so weird…"

"… You're strange."

I poked one I open to meet Gaara's intimidating stare. "Hmm?"

"I expected you to react more… baffled. Having so many unanswered questions should be frustrating," the red-head said, and my lips parted for a light giggle.

"You're right. I should be freaking out… I don't know why I'm not," I smiled again at the ceiling. "But I guess it's because…"

I could feel his eyes on me as my grin softened considerably. "It feels good to just smile and be happy."

Gaara stared in surprise at me. Lifting up his pen again, he returned to his work. "I see."

* * *

**A/N:** And that's all for now, folks!

**Lina Trinch: **xD Sorry, sorry! Hopefully this is a bit more for you. ;3 I still didn't say what the 'thing' did to her, 'cause I still have to sort things out for that, but… I explained the Inditement for you. xP Is that good? ;3 Thanks so much! It feels nice to know I won a fan. You're awesome, too. ♥ Here's the chapter for you!

**Hibiki-chan: **Thanks:3 I'll keep it in her view, then. n.n I fell in love with Matsuri when I first met her. xD She's so cute, in my opinion… so I had to put her in 'cause, you know, it's Suna.

**Liah Cauthon:** xD Thanks! That's good enough to make me happy. ;3

**Midnight Starr: **Thank you! ♥ I'm happy to know that people like this story! I thought it wouldn't be that popular because it's a GaaraxOC AND has a clichéd background, but I'm glad to know it's at least acknowledged. xD

**Arwenundomiel: **Thanks! ;3

**Valinor's Twilight:** Thanks a bunch! n.n

**Laure of Shadows: **Aww, it's fine. xD Thanks a lot! I'm just afraid of what it'll develop into. xD Hopefully it'll be good…

**Dani Casster:** Here's the update for you! ;3 And thanks, I'll keep it in Nadie's view.

I LOVE YOU EVERYONE! x3

Another thing to correct myself about… I changed ages again. xD This time, permanently! Believe it! Gaara is 15, Nadine is 14, Kankuro's 17, Temari's 18… in other words, it's present Shippuuden's ages. Just to make it clear… forgive me for my indecisive mind! ; w ;

NEXT TIME IN CRUEL FATE:

"Aww, it's so cute! I love it!"

"It took me a while to make, dear… and it comes with a special blessing from me, as well."

Yufu finally comes back with her freebie to Nadine, what could it be? Gaara catches Nadine talking to herself, and grows suspicious… what's thoughts are running through the Kazekage's mind? Find out next time!

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out!


	12. Drawbacks of a Do Gooder

**Notes from teh Bayo**:

Yaaay! Here I am again, guys! Sorry for the wait. X3

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Hope you like this one! ♥

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be obsessed with Itachi and Naruto would be all over Hinata. So, therefore, I don't own it. C:

* * *

**c h a p t e r . twelve  
****Drawbacks of a Do-Gooder**

I looked left and right, and left again. Stepping forward, I peered back to make sure my back was clear, and with a squeak, I sprinted from the property and onto safe grounds. But I didn't stop there—no, that was _way_ too open—I buzzed by a few buildings and skidded to a stop in the bazaar, where I skillfully hid in the tiny space provided by two caravan tents. Seconds passed as I stood there, huddled against the wall, my breathing scarce—

—And I was safe.

"Phew," I sighed in relief, wiping the nervous sweat from my brow. "That was a close one."

What I had just accomplished was a feat not everyone could manage to pull—especially from your typical, nerdy, and scrawny girl like myself. Escaping from the confines of a room that was the Kazekage's office wasn't something a normal secretary in her right mind would do, but the paperwork had driven me insane. I had to get out; a whole morning of doing nothing but signing papers, scheduling meetings, and filing important documents did that to you. I never knew using your head so much would cause you to lose it.

Don't ask me how I managed to do it… it was pretty rough. Just like Jack Sparrow would've said, I waited for my opportune moment before making my crazy move. While Gaara was in the library doing whatever, I had ran all the way back to my room, grabbed my equipment, and ran all the way back to the office. Gaara was still doing whatever, so I quickly set up my dummy consisting of… a long pillow for my body, a smaller one for my head, and a blanket to cover the head. It took me a minute or so to set it all up nice and pretty—I even stole some chopsticks from the kitchen the night before to use as fingers and arms.

Needless to say, the dummy looked absolutely, positively, wonderfully… nothing like me.

The plan failed, so I resorted to just falling onto the floor and crawling out through the front as quickly as I could; and believe me, that isn't something done without earning a few scratches and bruises.

And that led to me standing out here in pure, utter victory, perspiration running down my otherwise complacent face. I had successfully made it out of the tower without drawing attention to myself, and I'm free… for the time being. There was no telling when Gaara would realize I was missing and would come looking for me… and you know what else would anger him, despite my running away?

I didn't have him or his siblings with me. Uh-oh—Nadine's without an escort!

I could picture it now—him sitting me down and giving me a forty-five minute lecture on how he'd told me time and time again to never wander out without a guard or something. It made me feel special, like I was the President's daughter or the princess of England; but like most caged birds, I wanted freedom all for myself, with no protection involved. Gaara thought otherwise, though; I guess his overprotection for Sunagakure's beginning to exhibit on me.

"You can't defend yourself," he'd say, or "You're too weak," or "You get lost easily," or "You have no sense of direction," or "You'll end up wandering out of the village" and other fun phrases like that. Gaara, Gaara, Gaara—couldn't he see I'm a grown girl, now? That I need to spread my wings and fly on my own?

_You'd probably be shot down._

"Yeah, I probably would," I agreed with dismay. I paused. It's that voice again. It sounded like…? Glancing around, down, and up, I huffed in confusion, my arms crossing. "Hazure…?"

"Deeeaariiiee!"

An elderly, yet familiar voice summoned me out of my thoughts. My arms fell to my side and I gazed forward to meet with a pair of sparkling cerulean eyes on the other side of the street. Dusty grey-brown locks were tossed in the passing wind and Yufu waved me over, her lips curled into an excited grin. "Nadie-chaaaan! Come, come!"

"Yufu?" I asked as I neared her. I hadn't seen the cheerful old lady in a while; I had come to visit her during the past couple weeks, but her tent had been gone for reasons unknown. "Long time no see! Where've you been?"

She stared at me with a large grin, and replied, "Why, I've been at home, dear! Where else?"

I blinked. That was painfully simple. "Home? You live in Suna?"

"You think a decrepit old woman like I could travel from village to village consistently?" Yufu laughed, and I gazed down in slight embarrassment. I hadn't considered that. "But, I've finally finished your present! It's quite the beauty; although I must apologize for how long it took me!"

"It's okay," I replied before I was firmly tugged into the small green tent with Yufu's unusually strong grip. Honestly, I had forgotten about the freebie she was making me. What could she possibly throw together with the little information she gathered from me?

She sat me in the same chair I sat on when I first met her, and fell into thought.

Hmm… a stuffed animal? I did tell her I liked panda's…

Or maybe a good luck charm? Those were always popular tourist souvenirs. But then again, I didn't think Yufu thought I was a mere tourist, no matter how old and inattentive she seemed.

A few minutes later she came trotting back with her hands hidden behind her back. I stared at her and focused on her pretty eyes. "Here you are, dearie!"

She revealed the present from behind her back, and my mouth hung open in genuine awe.

I held the accessory delicately in my palms. It looked so fragile that if it even fell on clouds it would shatter, and I treated it as such. "Aww, it's so cute! I love it!" It was a beautiful necklace that hung on an elaborate silver chain. It looked to be about eighteen inches long, and it held a pendant that had my eyes glued to it. A perfect half-sphere composed of white silver, with an additional circle of emerald on one end. It was expertly carved into the white half of a yin-yang symbol. "This is for me?"

"I don't wear hip jewelry anymore, dear."

I giggled lightly at her reply. She looked pleased with my reaction and stood proudly before me. "Where's the other half?" I asked quietly, tracing my thumb over the ornament's smooth surface. It was cool to the touch.

"Right here," Yufu quickly replied, and she dropped the other piece carefully next to mine. It was the opposite of the white ivory, of course. Made of obsidian and carved to fit perfectly with its counter ivory, the only thing that made them match was the twin circle of emerald that was embedded into its larger part. Staring at them with wide eyes, I slid them together and they almost magically seemed to connect. They pulled apart easily.

"Yufu… they're beautiful," I gave her a large grin. "Are they really for me?"

"Must you keep reminding me of my age?" the old woman smiled at me. "Yes. It's a popular business I do with new girls, since they apparently love this kind of jewelry. You know who the other half goes to, right?"

"Uh… a crush?" I asked with a blink. On a side note, in my life have, I ever actually liked anyone enough to want to be with them. Kira was a different story—she loved real and fictional guys alike—but I liked to reserve myself for the _one_, you know? I think it'd be really cool to have my first boyfriend be the love of my life forever. We'd never break up, we'd get married, and we'd be with each other for the rest of our lives!

… Don't call me corny!

She tsk-tsk'ed me. "Not just any crush, dear—your love! It took me a while to make, and it comes with a special blessing from me, as well!" Clearing her throat, Yufu started, "It's designed to hold a genuine relationship together; but, it comes with a condition!"

I gulped and listened.

"You may not wear any of them until your love is realized!" Before she could catch my expression of clear disappointment, she reached behind the table and heaved a stuffed animal—a panda—up and shoved it into my chest. I staggered back as I tried to balance it and the two necklaces.

"Wh-What's this…?" The bear wasn't very big, and was about the size of my uper torso. It had a big body and a big head, with gleaming green eyes that twinkled up at me.

"He will be the holder of the necklaces! You will keep him in your room," Yufu explained. To demonstrate, she snatched the two necklaces from my sloppy grip and neatly slipped them around the panda's stubby neck.

"They match," I noticed, staring down at the matching colors of the whole thing. I instinctively drew the stuffed animal closer; I haven't been given one in years, and I could feel my immature ages coming back to me.

"It's important with things like these."

Ignoring the fat plush, I stepped forward and drew in Yufu for a hug. "Thanks, Yufu—you're so sweet!"

Laughing, she patted my back lovingly. "You're very welcome, Himeka-chan…"

The name rang as unfamiliar for me, and I pulled back. "What'd you call me?"

The old woman cocked her head to one side in confusion; and suddenly she covered her mouth awkardly with her fingers. "Oh, my apologies, Nadie-chan! Himeka-chan is my granddaughter. I used to make many things for her when she was young…"

"Used to?"

"Yes; I do not know where she could be now. She and her parents moved without telling me." There was a hint of sorrow and longing in Yufu's voice, and it shut my mouth so I couldn't say anything. I stood there fumbling with the panda.

"You remind me of her," I looked up as she continued, "She's cute, she's cheerful, and she always has the most awed expressions whenever I present gifts to her. I haven't seen her in years!"

The old tailor sighed as the memories came flooding back to her, and a smile erupted on my face at her genuine care for her granddaughter. Himeka, huh? Maybe I should ask Gaara to research on where she could be. Seeing her so emotional with her precious thoughts made me remember my life back home and my own family. Mom and Reuben… well, Mom. Reuben was here, so I didn't have to worry about him. I wonder how they're doing, and what they're doing right now?

_You still wonder of his well-being, even after he betrayed you? Stupid human._

'_Shut up, Hazune,'_ I spit back in my mind, knowing that it was him in the depths. I guess it was some connection he could have with travelers between worlds. I'll have to ask him the next time I see him… gosh, I had so many questions—and Gaara had only answered a fraction of them!

Being so clueless sucks a lot.

"Nadie-chan?"

"Yes?" My attention was drawn back to the complacent woman, and I smiled softly.

"I believe you should begin heading back—Kazekage-sama's not the most lenient with those who try to escape his confines," she suggested.

I stepped back in shock. How did she know I ran away? … Actually, how did she know I even stayed with Gaara? "How did you…?"

"Oh, please, Nadie-chan! My body may be deteriorating, but my ears aren't just yet. Kazekage-sama's paperwork isn't done that quickly, so I know you must've sneaked out. Girls everywhere are complaining about a short snob who's privileged to live with the Kazekage—you do know he's quite popular with the ladies, don't you?—and even be escorted by him around town! Chatter like that is hard to avoid these past few weeks," Yufu explained with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

I short, snobby brat, huh? Why I outta—

"… Oh," I dumbly replied, stroking the back of my head in slight embarrassment. I didn't know Gaara was popular with girls… well, I kind of had a hint when a stinkin' _mountain_ of flowers, food, and cards were sent to his office, but… yeah. Not that popular.

… Okay, maybe I'm less attentive than I should be.

What did they see in _Gaara_, of all people? He was sadistic, cruel, cold-hearted, and overprotective; I could understand if they were all over Hyuuga Neji, but Subaku no Gaara? Haha, that was funny. True, but funny. I, honestly, wasn't too attracted to Gaara; actually, he was more like a distant friend to me ever since that one night. Gaara is Gaara. I didn't know Gaara that well; he never opened up to me enough to the point that I could even say we were friends. Acquaintances would fit our relationship better.

But then again, there were his other qualities…

"Nadie-chan?"

"Y-Yes!" I squeaked, the necklaces bouncing as I leaped in surprise. "I'll be going then—thanks again for the presents, Yufu! I really love them!"

I was halfway through the door before her voice called me back. "Oh, Nadie! Please… call me Granny, if you may." I looked in surprise back to her. She stood there, a soft expression on her face and her beautiful eyes fixed on me. "I would be overjoyed to have a granddaughter again…"

A few seconds passed, and I turned, a smile hidden on my face. "See you later, Granny!" The tent curtain swished as I hopped through.

Even if I were only a replacement, I would do anything to see that completely satisfied and hopeful smile on Yufu's face—a face that carried a stream of pleasant and memories that longed for more to be added. She was a sweet, respectful lady; and already I found myself drawn to her, as if I'd been united with lost family. It was a strange feeling that I've never felt before, but I loved it.

The sun greeted me in heavy rays as soon as I left the shady tent. People were still buzzing around like mad, but the crowds had numbered down with the moving of the sun. Holding the bear like a precious treasure to my chest, I began to make my way down the dirt path.

"I hope Gaara doesn't catch me… at least, not yet," I whispered to myself, looking around anxiously for any sign of the tomato-headed Kazekage. I kept my head ducked, and I silently thanked the gods my dull hair blended with the hair tones of the residents here. If he were searching for me—which I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure he was—hopefully he would mistake me as a common citizen and leave me with my own business…

_Like the lady said, the one-tailed brat will be really ticked when he find's you._

"Oi, Hazune," I spoke back to the voice and directed my attention to the ground. "How are you able to—"

Bad decision—I walked into someone. My heart seized in my throat—I hope that wasn't Gaara. Peering up, my eyes were tempted to squeeze shut until the figure walked away; but as my eyes fixed on them, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a man I've never seen before. "I'm sorry," I said apologetically.

"…" He was a tall and rugged-looking man with dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes. His form was leanly built and he was dressed in a trench coat and a very shady hat, despite the weather. Without saying a word, he walked right by me, and my gaze followed him.

"O… kay…" My lips tilted in an awkward position of pout and confusion. "That was strange."

I turned back towards the way of the mansion. It was only a few blocks away now; it's a good thing I came out a lot. I got to know the map of Suna quite quickly. I took a step forward, and as soon as it touched the dirt, I froze. With my eyes glued straight ahead, my pupils were fixed on a figure in the distance. It was wearing a blue and white robe, walked at a slow, controlled pace, and had messy, yet oddly familiar red hair…

And it was coming directly my way.

"Gosh darnit," I murmured, every hope of getting back without getting caught lost. Not like it would help if I got back anyway—he'd still lecture me about running off without telling him. Squeezing my plush to my chest, I screamed in my mind and took off to my right.

The hide and seek game ended before it could begin because a wall of sand blocked me from entrance into an alley. Stupid sand! Around my feet, I could see dust particles dispersing, as if some wind had just blown there. I turned around—and lo and behold, there was the Kazekage… with a more displeased than usual expression on his otherwise stoic face.

A sweet grin curled onto my face and I fully confronted him. "Gaara, have I ever told you how loving and merciful of a Kazekage you are?" I sucked up to him, hoping he would at least be more lenient with the punishment that I was sure I was going to get.

Now_ this_ was a familiar feeling: getting grounded.

Instead of replying, Gaara roughly grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him, and he proceeded to sling me over his shoulder. I yelped at the unexpected action, and my panda was now squished between my chest and his back. One hand was pressed on my back and securely positioned me on his broad shoulder—I don't think he even cared if I was comfortable.

I hung guiltily; I didn't know he even touched people—girls, especially—like this. "Gaara, I—"

"Quiet."

The tone he used held so much power it instantly shut my mouth.

I was getting it back at the tower. If Dad were still here, I doubt he'd be as fatherly as Gaara was acting! Or maybe it was just overprotection? Or anger… I didn't really wanna think about it that moment. I should've known I'd get caught sooner than later; I never was the rebellious, sneak out type of girl. I was your usual do-goody, responsible, and sensible Nadine Wingard.

Ah, the drawbacks of a do-gooder…

He didn't talk to me, or anything, at all as he carried an awkward and embarrassed me through Suna. Whenever I looked up to see if we were there, I could see people staring at us; and I could still feel eyes on us when I wasn't looking. Whispers and giggles lifted in the air, and in the corners of my eyes, I saw the evil glares of Gaara's fan girls fixed on me. Great—now rumors were gonna start spreading. That was the last thing I needed!

I was afraid to shift my body, but I could feel his calm and collected vibe. Amazing how he can stand all this pressure! I didn't attempt to talk to him; apparently, I had angered him enough.

I sighed.

* * *

The five-minute walk seemed like five hours to me. When we got back to the tower, he didn't bother to put me down and proceeded to carried me all the way to his office. Another fifteen minutes of silence wafted between us. If I were him, my shoulder would be flattened and in need of amputation from carrying the weight for so long; I supposed Gaara was stronger than he looked.

We finally reached his office, but he didn't stop there. He was going to… my room? Swinging the door open, he lifted me in and dropped me back onto my feet in front of my bed. I fell clumsily onto the cushion, my feet just registering stable ground beneath my feet again. My panda sat contentedly in my lap, the smile that was sown onto its snout dreadfully out of place in this tense mood.

Nervously glancing up at him, I saw Gaara had his eyes fixed on me. I wanted to say something—an apology—but the words failed to come out. We stood in awkward silence, staring at each other, before he turned to leave. The door clicked close behind him, without him uttering a single syllable.

My dignity felt like it was stabbed in a gazillion places. Dear lord, did Gaara know how to guilt someone or what?

Standing, I walked over to my dresser, sitting the panda on top of it. The window was next to it, so I decided to peer down at the village. Gaara is… very strange. I couldn't tell what he was feeling right now. Those eyes of his hid his emotions very cleverly.

In one twinkle they were frustrated and relieved… in another they were concerned. And what the really weird thing I saw in his eyes were impressed tints. Sighing, I plopped my elbows on the window sill and gazed out. The sun was beginning to fall behind the mountains, initiating the early evening.

"I have such a weird life…"

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**A/N: **That's it for chapter twelve, everyone! Hope you enjoyed it. x3

**Hibiki-chan: **x3 Here you go!

**Daoshi-sama: **xD I didn't think there were gonna be so many Sasuke x OC until I looked it up. ;3 Thanks a bunch! ♥ Yeah, Gaara rules. ;3

**Midnight Starr: **Thanks! I'm glad to hear I inspired someone into making their own story! n n Sure, I'll take a look at it. ;3

**Lady-Lillie-chan: **Thanks! X3 Here's the chapter for you! Hoep you liked it.

**Laure of shadows: **Thanks a bunch, Laure. X3 I hope I'm not rushing nor going too slow!

**Valinor's Twilight: **Thanks! 3 It means a lot to me.

**Great Diabla Assassin:** xD Thanks muches! Sorry—I was meaning it to be sad, but I didn't expect anyone to cry. X3

**Firefaerie93: **Thank you! 3 Hope you liked this chapter!

Thanks again for the reviews, everyone! Please keep reviewing! ♥

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out!


	13. What I've Never Felt Before

**NOTES FROM THE BAYO:**

GAAAAHH! I'm so sorry for the wait, everyone! I've been having a major block with what I should do next; and at 3AM in the morning, I realized what I wanted to do.

Everyone, I have a warning.

**MAJOR FLUFF OMG.**

I thought it was time for a little intricate bonding time between our two favorite people… so here they are, just for you. X3 I know it's not enough to account for my absence, but I do hope you know I'm not giving up on this story. I've come too far to not continue this. :3 So please root me on!

Also know that I've never done a fluff scene before, so. xD I'm a bit inexperienced. Please enjoy and review… I LOVE YOU ALL! I really do. :'D I wanted to send this chapter quick, so I'm sure there're a ton of mistakes and sloppiness… I'll edit it tomorrow (or later in the day, now, hurr), promise. ;3

Disclaimer: You know. D: I don't own Naruto—only this story. Yeah.

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**c h a p t e r . thirteen  
****What I've Never Felt Before**

One more day.

Actually, only _half a day._

As I sit at the office desk, completely bored to heck with myself, the constant reminder of tomorrow buzzed through my mind consistently. Rather than doing paperwork like a _good_ secretary like myself was _supposed_ to be doing, I had used the back of one of his 'important' documents to express my excitement.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow," I chanted, bubbling my 'tomorrow' on the paper, bolding it, drawing hearts around it, and drawing a big, bolder heart around it. That made… six of them, and I was running out of room. What was tomorrow, you ask?

Tomorrow Kankuro and Temari are coming home!

After two weeks of suffering with Kazekage Gaara, the conclusion of my interesting adventures here was coming to a close starting at approximately noon-time tomorrow. I'm keeping track. Right now it's seven o'clock in the evening (night's coming on), meaning that their return was approximately seventeen hours away. I sighed and began folding the paper into a paper swan, pocketing it when I was through. I was pretty sure Gaara would Subaku Kyuu me if he saw me scribbling like a two-year-old over his irreplaceable, holy, significant papers.

Speaking of the former monster vessel, I haven't talked to him since I snuck out yesterday. I must tell you, from the time that I was confiscated to right now I haven't spoken a single syllable to Gaara. I felt bad, of course, and I still had to apologize. He hasn't talked to me, either, and I couldn't tell if he was still angry or was just in his 'whatever' mode. Gaara was very difficult to figure out; I've been with him for a little over a month and lived with him by myself for a couple weeks, yet I _still _wasn't even close to knowing how he was.

What an enigmatic guy; he'd be the perfect jigsaw puzzle. It would take forever and a day to fill in every blank about him.

Amazingly I received no punishment; my schedule had remained the same as any day prior. Wake up, get dressed, make breakfast, do paperwork, clean the house, go out to eat, do more paperwork, make dinner, wash the dishes, do a little more paperwork, and then go to bed.

Grand life, huh?

I leaned back in the chair, a stream of air slipping between my lips. I didn't feel like being here right now; I felt like being out in Suna visiting Granny or just… hanging out. I'm still only fourteen, anyway; am I supposed to be working like this yet?

Didn't think so.

At the moment, I was yanked from my thoughts by a sharp knock at the door. I panicked for a moment and quickly feigned the position I was supposed to be in—leaning over with my face buried in paperwork, busily signing each paper off. "Come in!" I replied.

I lifted my head with a welcoming smile to the visitor, but it quickly discomposed as a pair of sea green eyes met mine.

Gaara.

"G-Gaara," I stuttered, and immediately scolded myself. "What brings you here on this fine evening…?"

He stared at me with those intimidating eyes. He wasn't dressed in his usual blue and white robe, I noticed—he was in his 'out-wear', as I like to call it. You know, the other outfit he wears when it's not that huge robe.

Anyways, the red-head didn't say anything for a while. I had to pinch myself to keep myself from falling into a rambling, stuttering frenzy. I guess this was the time when he comes to scold me for sneaking out and giving me even more requirements. I _was _still an opposable threat, anyway. Pfft.

A few more seconds passed; and finally, the guy spoke. "Do you want to take a walk?"

I blinked.

And blinked again.

Once more.

"A walk?" I repeated. I sure wasn't expecting that. What was he planning? I at least expected him to make some superior statement and leave me speechless for a few more days, or verbally abuse me until I could recite all thirty gazillion of the rules he had _and_ write them out one hundred times each. But if I knew anything about Gaara, it was that he was always serious. I stared at him skeptically; he didn't back down.

A small smile lit on my face. "Sure!"

* * *

The crisp night air felt good on my skin. I thought that Suna would have night temperatures that matched the day's temperatures, but it was actually really cool. It felt good.

Gaara and I walked down the now chilled sandy dirt. The moon was shining brightly in the navy sky, teeming with billions of stars that twinkled one by one. I remember the last time I was out here at night; it was the time before Reuben showed up, when I'd gotten lost. I smiled to myself—Gaara found out about my weak vision and warned me about dangers at night.

It seems like it happened forever ago now. So much has happened since then…

Finally we came upon the place Gaara walked me to, and I paused while he kept moving. I peered around and a smile of surprise curled onto my face. This was the abandoned park I found a long time ago. Why would Gaara come here? He didn't sound—nor look—like a park person, heh heh.

I sat on the crusty old swing that hung next to Gaara's swing. "What brings us here?" I asked.

Gaara remained silent for a moment before replying. "When I was a child, I used to come here."

"Aaaww," I cooed, imagining a smaller, younger, and more innocent Kazekage-boy. "I bet this park was popular back in those days."

"It wasn't," Gaara replied, his voice growing quiet. "It was avoided because I was always here."

My eyes widened slightly, and I turned to stare at my feet, biting my lip. "Oh," I murmured. Kira told me why—it was because he had the Shukaku dwelling in him. "I'm sorry."

"… I enjoyed watching the others play from here, but they would run away before I could come close enough to ask if I could join them," he continued, his voice that same distant quiet. I diverted my gaze to him; memories clouded those faded turquoise eyes. "I remember how lonely I felt. My uncle would advise me to stay at home, away from the others, for that reason. Loneliness, anger, frustration, confusion—they all would trigger the monster living inside me.

"But I never gave up. I wanted to be accepted, to be liked, to be respected and loved; so I kept trying. On days when my father or Yashamaru would tell me to stay home, I would sneak out and sit here, watching the other children and attempting, despite how much they feared me."

"Gaara… why are you telling me this?" I asked, my eyes focused on the ground. It was all quite strange; did he invite me to walk just to tell me about his past? Especially after I attempted to have a whole day literally to myself?

The Kazekage didn't answer for a while. I bet he was trying to come up with an excuse as to why he would open up his life to me like this… maybe because I was stupid and needed more knowledge?

… I don't know, okay?!

"… I felt like I needed to tell you," he finally replied. His gaze turned to me for the first time tonight, and I nearly gasped—his eyes were sparkling softly under the moonlight.

I had to admit, it was very pretty… I didn't know they could be like that.

"Aren't you mad about yesterday?" I inquired, my eyes never leaving his.

Gaara stared ahead, his sea green eyes ripping away from mine. "Aren't _you_?"

My mouth hung in confusion. "Huh?"

"The fact that I keep closing you in and forbidding you to wander by yourself… aren't you frustrated with me?" he asked quietly.

I blinked. Was _that_ why he would avoid me? He thought _I _was mad at _him_? That totally changes the outlook on everything. I nervously answered, "No! I'm perfectly fine. I just thought you were mad at me because… well, you're the Kazekage and all, and I directly disobeyed you."

Silence hung in the air like the slow, misty clouds that drifted in the dark sky. Gaara's gaze had fallen, and the anxiety that I naturally received at such awkward moments had me rocking absent-mindedly in my swing. I could see his fists tighten on his lap, and I discreetly made sure he didn't know I saw. He was angry at me now—I reminded him of what exactly happened. I, an outsider, had disobeyed Kazekage Gaara, my current ruler… and I couldn't imagine what he was going to say next.

"I'm sorry."

Yeah, not to mention I'd be serve limited amounts of food in my dungeon… wait. _What?_

To prove my point, I fully faced him, my mouth hanging agape. "What?!" I held myself back from shouting too loud, "Why?"

"Restraining your freedom," Gaara calmly replied. I could tell he was still lost in his thoughts; he wouldn't look back at me. "… I'm sorry."

I stared at him awkwardly, my mouth still hanging open. I half expected him to glare at me and slap my chin to make it close, but he didn't move at all. The quietness wafted between us again. Now he made me feel bad… he apologized for something I wasn't mad about, and I was supposed to apologize before he did—heck, he wasn't even supposed to in the first place.

My eyes never left his face, and as they carefully examined the emotion that I could sense from him, the dense realization hit me.

That was why he asked me to come with him. He wanted to apologize.

And the story about him as a child, and his uncle and father holding him back from his attempts to make friends was his reason as to why he was sorry. He told me about how he'd sneak out against their will and orders just so he could be free… he knew that each day held new chances, and he grabbed each of them with greedy fingers. Gaara was alone—very alone, I could imagine—as a kid, and he thought that he was being like his elders by holding me back from wanting to be free.

But I wasn't angry or mad at all. I actually felt… relieved. The tense air that had been wrapping around us for a mere day had began to dissipate slowly, and the uncomfortable (yet still comfortable in its own way) feeling returned, greeting us like an old friend who had been absent.

Then the night seemed to completely go on a reality crash—I started crying. "G-Gaara… you silly Kazekage…" I sniffed. He turned to me, surprised at my tears.

"What—"

I interrupted him by grabbing his hands in mine as I leaped to my feet, pulling him up with me. I stared up at his stunned teal eyes with my teary blues. "You don't need to apologize—_I'm _sorry for making you worry and for having you recall your past." I surprised myself; I didn't stutter at all in that sentence, despite my crying. "And… I'm sorry for not apologizing first. You shouldn't have had to apologize at all… I'm sorry." I squeezed his hands tighter; it was then I found out that he wasn't wearing his sand like he always did. I secretly savored the feeling of his surprisingly soft palms.

I wanted to ask him why he wasn't wearing it, but decided that wasn't the kind of question to ask at a time like this.

Gaara stared at me with those pretty eyes. Cautiously, he pulled one of his hands away from mine, and he raised it to slowly allow his fingertips to feather my cheek and jaw line, brushing each individual teardrop away. I hoped he didn't notice the intense raise in my temperature, because my cheeks were hot enough to evaporate the tears anyway. That was awfully sudden, and it shocked me to a frozen state. I had never been touched like this, neither by guy or girl; and I don't think Gaara was very experienced in this field either.

But his fingers were so soft…

His hand slowly dropped from my face to my shoulders, where he gently gripped both with both of his free hands. I gazed up at him and watched as he delicately embraced me, one arm leaving to wrap around my waist while the other tangled with my hair. My face was pressed in his broad shoulder, the same cherry red blush on my cheeks.

"Thank you," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.

His phrase made my eyes widen, and I laughed lightly, my arms loosening from their tension to wrap around his neck in a returning embrace. "Don't mention it."

I felt strange; I felt unusually light and fluffy inside as I pressed closely to the Kazekage. Despite Gaara's lack of intimate human contact, he was an amazing hugger. I could feel the soft beating of his heart against my rapidly beating one. It was confusing; the hug felt different than any other hug I've given or received. In case people didn't know, I was a big fan of hugs, therefore giving me fair experience in the area. I loved giving and receiving as sign of friendship and closeness.

I always released my hugs quickly; but this time, I didn't want to let go.

As Gaara's head lightly rested on my shoulder, the feeling bombarded me again like a cannonball fired at full blast.

Why was I feeling this way? Why did such a simple and familiar gesture made my heart flutter and reproduce butterflies in my stomach? I've never felt like this before…

After what seemed like hours, he finally released me, much to my reluctance. I tried to hide my disappointment as I faced him. My eyes met his face just so I could look at his sparkling eyes.

Instead, I found myself silently choking as my heart leaped to my throat.

Gaara wasn't frowning. Whatever he was doing to his lips, it was far from what I would think of as a frown. Gaara, the emotionless leader of Sunagakure… was _smiling._ It wasn't a smirk, it wasn't a sick grin, and it wasn't forced; it was a true, genuine smile that made my heart race two hundred miles an hour.

As I stared at him with wide, shocked eyes, I asked myself one thing: what wouldn't I give to see that smile all the time?

I was so glad it was dark; I wouldn't be surprised to look in the mirror and see that my hair had been dyed orange from my blush.

"It's getting late," Gaara pointed out, turning from me to gaze at the moon. "Let's go back."

"R-Right," I nodded numbly, beginning to walk back. It was hard for me to pull my eyes from him, but I didn't want to look like the staring fool that I was just a few seconds ago…

I could hear Gaara's footsteps behind me, and I slowed down to let him catch up; but I suddenly felt a hand wrap around mine and he passed me, gently pulling me along. I gulped my heart down again. "G-Gaara…?"

"It's dark, and you can't see well," he stated. "Stay close so you don't walk into anything."

I smiled shyly and stepped to his side. "All righty."

I didn't mind the contact. In fact, I enjoyed it… probably more than I should. I knew he was only holding my hand so that I wouldn't wake up with horrible scratches on my face the next day. But he could've used his sand, too, so…

Why did I like the thought of him holding my hand just because he wanted to?

I spent the majority of our walk blushing profusely and trying to keep myself from bursting out totally random and embarrassing things. When we reached the tower, I reluctantly let go of his hand and bid him good night, before rushing to get to my room.

As I lay on my bed, flashbacks constantly ran through my mind and my blushes only kept getting warmer at the mere thought. What had started to be an extremely tense day for me turned out to be a night I would never forget. I could still feel the warmth of his body as we hugged; I could still feel his soft fingers brush against my face; but the one image that stuck clear in my mind was the smile he had shown me. It was a smile that anyone else's couldn't compare to; a smile that probably only a very limited selected few had seen. I wanted to treasure that memory for as long as I could.

Something's wrong with me. You wanna know why?

I've been waiting for Kankuro and Temari to come back for forever; but now, I wouldn't mind if their return was postponed. If it meant being with Gaara more, I eouldn't mind trading anything…

My eyes snapped wide open at that brief thought. Sitting completely upright, I rested one palm on my heart; sure enough, it was beating with realization.

I had fallen for the Kazekage just because of that stupid walk.

All hell had broken loose.

* * *

**A/N: **"Oh my gosh" is right! Holy mothers! I didn't think I could write such things. :'D Bear in mind, folks, that I wrote this at 3AM in the morning. I hope you like it. x3

Once again, I'm so so so sorry for the wait. I love you all for reviewing; but right now, I'm as tired as heck. I'll reply to all the reviews in the next chapter. :3 Please tell me whether she hated/like/adored/luffed/wanted to murder the fluff.

Please… REVIEW! -moans tiredly-

-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out!


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